A Memory Stirs
by Eriksangelofmusic4ever
Summary: When the Mob finds Erik, they come promising to put the Phantom's life to a tragic end. Three years later, Christine applies for a housekeeping job at the home of Phantasma's owner, Mister E... When she realizes who her employer is, she confronts him. Only...He doesn't remember her or anything about the Paris Opera House. Can Christine stir his memory? E/C as always
1. Chapter 1

**Christine's POV**

If there was one thing I thought, it was that my angel of music was going to hold me captive for the rest of my life. The anger I saw in his eyes as he knelt over my shaking body was more than I could handle.

"You try my patience," he growled in a low whisper. "Make your choice…"

His voice cracked at the end as if he were going to cry. Make my choice? He wanted me to choose between a new life with him, or living free without Raoul. He was going to kill Raoul if I didn't choose to stay with him. My angel was going to take my dearest friend and future lover away from me. I looked up at where my angel was standing and saw his body shaking. He was just as afraid of my choice as I was. But could I spend the rest of my life with this man? Could I save Raoul by agreeing to spend every waking moment with a monster? I rose on shaky legs and stood behind him. He was much taller than I was, for his height overpowered my own.

"Angel…" my hand reached out for his shoulder and he turned to face me. He had tears in his eyes and his bottom lip was quivering. I reached up and pressed my hand to his cheek, an action that he wasn't expecting, for he gasped and backed away.

"Make your choice, Christine… I don't want to do this to you, but I have no other choice. I don't like being the monster, but I am forced to be him."

"You don't have to do this," I cried. "You could let us go now and I wouldn't say a word. Please…"

My angel stood there shaking, and then, he grabbed me by the neck, his grasp being light.

"Kill me, Christine," he begged. "It's the least you could do. How could I ever live without you?"

My angel let me go and handed me a knife. My hand shook as he forced me to take it. Kill him? How could I ever do such a thing?

"Do it, Christine!" came Raoul's voice. "Kill that hideous monster!"

But I couldn't. I dropped the knife causing it to land at his feet with a loud clank. My angel dropped to his knees and took my skirts into his hands.

"Oh, Christine, I love you… You are a saint…My savior!"

He sobbed into my skirts, and I placed my hand on his back. A few moments later, he stood and reached out to brush his fingers against my cheek. His touch was ice cold, but I did not shiver… He looked deep into my eyes before looking at Raoul who was hanging by a noose on the other end of the lair. From there, he slowly made his way to Raoul. My angel picked up a lit candle and pointed it at Raoul, causing me to scream. My angel closed his eyes and suddenly released my friend! Raoul dropped to the ground and gasped for air before gathering to his feet.

"Go…" My angel demanded. "Take the boat, and get out of here before it's too late."

I reached out for Raoul to come to me, but he didn't… He wasn't done yet. Instead of coming to me, he reached down and grabbed my angel's knife. What was he doing? Instead of coming to me, Raoul pointed the knife at my angel and ran straight towards him. My angel still had his back turned and I suddenly realized what Raoul's intentions were.

"Raoul, no!"

But it was too late, for the blade was already in my angel's side. He backed away like a wounded animal and dropped to his knees.

"Come, Christine!" Raoul grabbed my hand and led me towards my angel's boat. "He can't hurt us anymore…"

I kicked and screamed, but I was already in the boat. My angel looked at me as he pressed his hand against his wound. I had betrayed him, and he would never forget it. Raoul was rowing us away, but I was still crying and screaming.

"Enough!" Raoul shouted. "He needed to die, Christine! He would have never let us go…"

"That's not true… You murdered him!"

"I did what I had to do… You should hate him, and yet, you have feelings for that beast! He would have raped you… He would have raped and tortured you, Christine."

Raoul grabbed me by the throat but quickly let me go. No… I wouldn't stand for this! I kicked the man and jumped out of the boat. I swam through the cold water to get back to where I originally was. Raoul was gone, for he had rowed further towards the exit. I didn't care, for all I cared about was getting back to my angel. It took me nearly an hour to get back to my angel's lair, but once I was there, I was freezing. I quickly stripped off my soaked dress and grabbed one of my spare robes before heading down the hall in search of my angel. I gasped when I noticed the trail of blood in the hall, making it obvious as to where my angel was. I never entered his bedroom, for I was forbidden to do so. Though, I didn't hesitate on entering tonight… His room was lit in dim candle light, and as scary as I thought it would be, it turned out to be a beautiful fortress. I spotted an organ, a desk with scores lying all about its surface, and there, in the corner of the room was a bed. It was enclosed in dark curtains hanging on either sides of it, but he was here, for I heard him groaning in agony. I quickly hurried to the side of the bed and spotted my angel lying on the floor with a rag pressed tightly against his wound.

"Angel…" I softly spoke his name and he looked up at me.

"C…Christine…"

I knelt down to his side and reached out to help him. I sighed in relief when I noticed that his wound wasn't that deep.

"Ch…Christine, you shouldn't be here…"

"But I am. Let me help you…"

I reached out my hand and it took him a few moments before he let me lift him to his feet. I sat him down on the edge of his bed and reached for his shirt.

"You needn't see me without my shirt," he snapped, pressing the garment close to his body. "I'm a sin…"

"You are not a sin… I'm the one that betrayed you. You shouldn't have trusted me."

"It wasn't your fault…It was your boy who did this, not you. Why are you here? You should be with him."

"That's not important now," I began. "What's important is helping you.'

Not another word was spoken for I hurried to fill up a basin with water. Afterwards, I returned and begged my angel to let me remove his shirt. He was hesitant at first, but a few moments later he removed his hand and let me have access to it. I knew my angel was in pain and he wanted it to stop. When his shirt was off, I was met with pale flesh and scars. This was the first time I had ever seen a man's bare chest, and I couldn't help but blush when he was fully exposed to me. Yes, his chest was deformed and strange, but I didn't say a word. I knew if I had, my angel would never trust me again. I pressed a cloth against his wound to stop the bleeding, causing him to groan. When the bleeding finally stopped, I bandaged his side and found him a clean shirt.

"Your wound may need stitches…"

My angel took his shirt and looked up at me. This was one of the only times I had actually looked at him without fear.

"You can leave if you wish now…"

Leave? How could I leave him? I didn't want to return to Raoul, for I finally felt like I belonged here. He needed me, and I would stay to care for him and his wounds.

"I don't want to leave," I said. "I…I don't want to leave you."

My angel stood to his feet and reached out to touch my cheek. When he felt how cold I was, he gasped and went running to his wardrobe.

"You're as cold as ice,"

"As are you…"

"I'm used to the cold. You, on the other hand, you're not used to it."

My angel pulled out one of his robes and placed my arms into it. His robe was pure silk and it warmed me instantly.

"Thank you…um…angel."

We were standing so close to one another now, so close that I could feel his icy breath on my neck. It only took a few moments for my angel to grow weak in the knees and he was soon back on his bed. I took a seat beside him and smiled.

"Forgive me," my angel began. "Forgive me for threatening you like I did. I'm so sorry… No one has ever loved me. I'm unlovable."

My angel sobbed into his hands, and I placed my hand on his back to calm him down. He wiped his eyes and looked at me…Oh, what had this poor man gone through in life? Unlovable? He was anything but. He had gone through life without the simplest touch…His lips were right there in front of me, and I wasn't sure why, but I couldn't help it. I placed my lips against his own and kissed my angel of music. This was not only his first kiss, but it was my first kiss with him as well … His bloated lips quivered in fear, but soon, he relaxed and enjoyed the kiss. I thought our kiss would just end, but it didn't, it continued. Our virgin bodies reacted and soon, our kiss had deepened, for our tongues met, and soon, pleasure had come into play. Soon, our hands were running over one another, clothes being torn from flesh, and then our bodies reacted.

"Oh, Christine…"

His voice sounded like a prayer as I placed my lips against his neck and kissed him. We could have stopped, but we didn't, for stopping would have been far too hard. Our hands fumbled blindly over each other's bodies as we fought to find out what felt good and what didn't. My angle didn't want to continue, but I begged it of him, and oh, how I begged. I didn't care that his body was covered in lumpy scars, for I wanted this, I wanted him.

"Christine," my angel was leaning over me. "I…I don't want to hurt you…"

"Ange…Please, I want this more than anything in the word."

And when my angel joined us, both pain and pleasure overtook the both of us. I never thought I would be begging for his body, but I begged and begged, our voices groaning for one another. And when we finished, we lay beside one another, gasping for air.

"Forgive me…" my angel sat up and ran his fingers through his sparse locks of hair. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Angel, please…"

My angel looked at me, and I smiled. He seemed confused at first, but after a few moments, he crawled back beneath the blankets with me.

"I suppose you wish to leave now," he began. "You probably want to leave and never return."

"Tomorrow," I began. "I'm going to wake and make breakfast for the two of us. After that, we can figure out where we're going to go live our life."

My angel seemed surprised, for he now had tears rushing down his cheeks.

"Oh, Christine…"

I wrapped my arms around his bare chest and sighed. I finally felt as though I had found my one true home.

"I should have never left…" I cried. "Forgive me."

And with that, I fell asleep beside my one love one lifetime.

* * *

**First chapter of my new story. I hope to have a lot of you loving this. So, since my current story "Master of the House" is still going, I shall update this once a week until MOTH ends. Once it ends, I will update this one every few days. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Christine's POV**

I wasn't sure why, but I woke that night after only a few short hours of sleep. I believed that me sleeping with my angel had been a dream, but when I opened my eyes in the dim lit room and spotted him lying beside me, I sighed, for it had been real after all. We were both still naked beneath the blankets, his fragile limbs twitching as he slept. He seemed so uncomfortable and I wasn't sure if it was because of his injury or a nightmare. His face was exposed and for the first time in my life, I didn't care.

"No, Javert…"

I had just closed my eyes again, when I heard my angel cry something. When I opened my eyes, he was sitting up and gasping for air.

"Ange, is something wrong?"

When he heard me speak, he looked down at me, seeming surprised that I was still lying beside him.

"I didn't think it was real," he murmured. "I thought…I thought you were gone forever."

He lied back down beside me and closed his tired eyes.

"I didn't think it was real either when I woke a few moments ago. It just doesn't seem real…"

"I don't sleep much," he began. "But I would lie here with you for the rest of my life if that meant that you would stay with me forever."

"I'm not going anywhere, ange… I promise."

My angel stood to his feet and made his way to his wardrobe bent over. I knew he was in dire agony, for who wouldn't be after being stabbed?

"Maybe you should see a doctor," I mentioned. "I'm no doctor and if your wound becomes infected there's no telling what might happen to you."

My angel slipped on a pair of trousers and a shirt. It was still extremely late, so where was he going?

"Ange, it's still night. Won't you come lie next to me for a few more hours?

"I just need some air," he began. "I…I'm going to step outside for a few moments and I'll be right back, this I promise you."

He stood at the end of the bed, afraid to do anything more than look at me. I knew he wanted to kiss me, but in my heart I knew that he didn't find himself worthy enough.

"If you want to kiss me, you don't have to wait for my permission."

My angel stood there for a few moments more, his body wracking with sobs. Had I done something wrong?

"I'm sorry… I…I'm just not used to this. I can't get used to you being so kind to me when I do not deserve it."

"But you do deserve it."

I stood up from the bed and wrapped my angel's robe around me. Afterwards I approached him and brushed my fingers across his bloated lips.

"It may take time," I began. "But I will come to love everything about you."

I pressed my lips against his own, hoping that our kiss would deepen, but it was cut short due to a horrible chattering coming from a short distance away. It sounded like the voices of men, but I wasn't sure. My angel broke our kiss and began to fasten his shirt closed.

"Ange, what is it?"

I was about to go running to him, but he held up his hand in protest.

"Stay here, Christine."

"But…"

"I said STAY!"

I watched my angel closely, never taking my eyes off of him for a single second. I was frightened, for who would be out in his lair at this time of night? When I could no longer see my angel, I hurried to his open bedroom door and watched as he stood in the middle of his music room. It was quiet for a few moments until the voices startled us both again. This time, however, we could hear them loud and clear.

"We're almost there! That hideous Phantom is going to pay with his life."

I gasped, for it was the mob! They had found their way down here. Time was running out for us to escape, and I knew if we didn't move now, we were going to be killed. I ran to my angel, and he was already angry that I had come out of the bedroom.

"Christine, you need to stay there."

"We need to get out of here, ange… The mob is coming! We can go now and be free before they get here."

My angel looked towards the exit, and knew that we couldn't go that way, for we would come face to face with the mob. There was only one other way of escaping, and that was to trudge through the icy cold waters of the underground lake. Raoul had taken the gondola, and with no boat to row across the lake in, we had to swim.

"We would catch consumption and die," my angel said when he saw me eyeing the lake. "You may have crossed once, but it was still warmer than it is now."

My angel moved us back to his bedroom where he began to pace like an expecting father.

"We should have left earlier… I…I never thought they would find me."

Time was running out for the both of us, for at any second, the mob was going to be in my angel's home.

"Christine…"

"Yes, ange?"

My angel didn't even have time to say another word, for the front door to his home came busting in. Faster than lightning, my angel shoved me beneath his bed and told me to stay quiet. I didn't want to stay quiet… I didn't want to leave him alone, but he begged it of me. My angel was about to leave the room, when the mob came pouring in.

"So here we find you…You're as hideous as ever."

I placed a hand over my mouth to keep me quiet as the horrific scene played out before my own very eyes. My angel attempted to stand up for himself, but he was outnumbered by twenty. The first blow to his head came from the end of a baton. He was on his knees now, begging for them to let him go.

"I did none of you any wrong," he growled. "Why can't you leave me in peace?"

"Peace?" one of the men chuckled. "We won't leave you in peace, but in pieces…"

I held my hand tighter over my mouth as one of the men took a knife and jabbed it into my angel's back. Blood spilled everywhere and I could hear him screaming and pleading for them to leave. But they didn't… They tortured him like no other, beating him in the head, blow after blow until he could no longer speak. Only then did they string him up by his neck and laughed as he attempted to breathe. I wanted to come out from underneath the bed and save him, but my angel made me promise! He made me swear that I would not move from my spot no matter what. If they were going to kill him, then why wouldn't they do just it? The more torture that I had to see them bestow upon him made me so sick in my stomach that I had to hold back from vomiting. They treated his body like a piñata, hitting his back with blunt objects as if he would open up and spill out his insides. Each scream that my angel pushed out made an indent in my memory and I knew I would hear those same screams in my dreams for years to come.

"All right," one of the men shouted. "Let's cut him down and finish this."

When the noose was cut down, my angel's body landed on the floor like a sack of potatoes, his face facing me. His blue orbs were gazing at me as though I were the last thing he was ever going to see again. I mouthed a quick "I'm sorry" before he pressed his eyes closed. It was as if he didn't want to hear those words from my lips, for it was not my fault. I knew that my angel knew this was bound to happen, and that me seeing this was the last thing he ever wished for me to see.

"We're not done with him yet…" the leader replied, stepping forward and lowering his trousers. "I've always imagined what it would be like to have a murderer…"

My eyes went wide as I saw what was taking place before me. The mob laughed as they helped pull my angel's trousers down just enough for his back end to show. No… I couldn't let them do this to him. But what could I do? If I came out from hiding, they would probably rape and kill me too. Therefore, I shut my eyes so I couldn't see the leader hurt my angel. He barely made more than a low grunt as the leader took advantage of him. I knew my angel was too weak to do anything more. I tried to block out the horrid and disgusting things the leader was saying about him, but everything was so loud and real.

"Take his body out to the lake and throw him in it…Make sure he sinks to the bottom before leaving."

When I heard the leader say those exact words, I opened my eyes and saw the mob dragging my angel's lifeless body away. There was so much blood stained in the floor and hallway that I knew it was going to be impossible for him to live now. I was angry, oh, so angry… There was a rage within me that I hadn't thought possible.

"He's gone, sir…"

The leader laughed and finished adjusting his trousers.

"Good, head back upstairs with the others and tell the opera house managers that their pest problem has been taken care of. I'll join you shortly… I'm going to see what treasure this beast has stored away in his belongings. Word is that he was saving his twenty thousand francs to flee the city. That amount of money would be a month's worth of Brandy."

This pig not only defiled my angel, but now he was going to loot his home, our home! No, I wouldn't allow it… While the pig was rooting through my angel's desk, I came out from hiding and grabbed the carving knife that my angel had laying out on his night stand. With the blade facing the man, I ran towards him and stabbed the bastard in the neck. Oh, but I didn't do it just once…No, over and over again I stabbed him, blood splattering everywhere before his body eventually fell face forward on the floor. Even when the man was dead, I didn't find that satisfying enough to stop, for I continued to stab him in the back.

When all was said and done, I dropped the knife and sobbed into my hands. My angel was gone, and it was all because of me. I knew I needed to leave before more men came down to my angel's lair and found their leader dead. I was just gathering to my feet, when I felt a hand come over my mouth to shut me up. I tried to scream and kick, but it was no use… When I attempted to bite the hand, I heard a female scream, only to break away and spot Meg standing before me dressed in a man's trousers and shirt.

"Meg…"

She grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the exit.

"Christine, come, we must hurry before it's too late."

I didn't want to leave, but I knew I had no other choice. I didn't want to believe that my angel was dead and gone, but the moment we passed the edge of the lake and spotted the enormous puddle of blood, I knew that death had been here.

* * *

**Decided to update a day early. Hope you enjoyed this chapter... poor Erik. Poor Christine... Well, we shall see what happens now. Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Christine's POV**

"Christine…Christine, help me…"

I heard my angel's voice screaming out for me. I had been standing outside of his house, and turned around. He was screaming, but there was nothing I could do.

"Christine, please…"

His voice was closer now, so close that it was as if he were right next to me. When I dared to turn back to face the underground lake, he was there! He was hanging out of the water, his mangled and bloody hands reaching out for me. I ran to the edge of the lake and reached out to save him, my hand merely inches from his own.

"You did this to me! It was your fault…You let them torture me!"

I tried to protest, I tried to scream my innocence, but he wasn't listening. When my hand finally made contact with his own, his weight pulled me under the water. I couldn't breathe, for I was being drowned.

"Now we can rot in hell together…together…together…"

"No!" I screamed and shot up in bed gasping for air. It had been a dream, a dream and nothing more. I sobbed into my hands when I thought about what had happened tonight. After escaping the opera house, Meg had taken me to a small building that was on the other side of town. That's where she brought me to Madame Giry. She had been there waiting for Meg's return. Madame Giry had given me a hug and thanked God that I was all right. I didn't speak about the hours I had spent with my angel wrapped up within his embrace. No, I lied and told her that Raoul had gotten away and left me with my angel to die. I never expected to leave Paris, but when Madame Giry offered to take me with her to the new world, I agreed. An hour later, we were on a cargo ship with about a hundred other passengers, all crammed down below the ship. All I could think about was my angel and the pain I had caused him. When Meg instructed me to get some rest, I snuggled beneath the blankets of my cot and closed my eyes. Now I was sitting up in bed and gasping for air from the nightmare I had just had.

"Christine," when I heard Meg's voice, I looked up to see her standing over me in her night attire. It was apparent that I had woken her from her slumber.

"I keep seeing it, Meg," I cried. "I keep seeing the horrors of last night in my dreams."

Meg gave me a reassuring hug before tucking me back in. "Everything will be fine now, Christine. He can't hurt you any longer. When we get to America, you can start fresh…"

Everyone had believed that my angel had hurt me, but he hadn't laid a finger on any part of me. My nightmares were of him dying, dying because I had refused to save him. For the next few weeks, we spent them at sea, the food being utterly terrible and the rocking of the ship being too overbearing. Everyone had gotten sea sick, so much that the bottom of the ship began to reek of vomit. I had been the lucky one…or so I had thought. There came a morning a few weeks after setting sail that I felt ill. It wasn't the usual illness, for this feeling I had within my stomach was so strong that I could feel the vomit rushing up my throat. Knowing what was going to happen, I hurried to the top deck and leaned over the rails just in the nick of time. Though, after vomiting, I looked down at the dark ocean and saw a body floating in it…But not just any body, the body of my angel. I gasped and closed my eyes, knowing that it was just a mirage, just like the ones I see in my dreams. My angel wasn't here, for I knew he was dead and this was just my mind playing tricks on me. Meg had told me time and time again to ignore what I see, for it wasn't real. I had tried to do just that, but it was nearly impossible.

"Christine…"

I heard that familiar voice in my head and looked over my shoulder to find my angel standing beside me. I closed my eyes and tried not to cry, for I knew this wasn't real.

"Forgive me, ange… Forgive me. I never meant for any of this to happen. All I wanted to do was show you love and be loved in return."

"Christine…"

I opened my eyes when I heard Meg's voice. She was hurrying to my side now, a look of confusion displayed across her face.

"Christine, are you all right?"

"Yes, the ship's rocking was getting to me."

Meg raised her brow. "Christine, we've been on this ship for weeks, and not once had I ever seen you ill."

She was right, for this was the first time since our journey that I had gotten ill. Perhaps it wasn't the ship's movement that had made me ill after all. Maybe it was something I ate.

"I don't think last night's meal sat well with me, Meg."

Once more, Meg thought a few moments before proving me wrong once again.

"Since we've been on this ship, we've had chicken and rice six times. That never made you ill before…Come to think of it, it's never made anyone on board ill."

"Perhaps I'm just nervous about the new world."

Meg patted me on the back. "Well, things could be worse, Christine… It's not like you're pregnant."

With that being said, she walked away. Pregnant? I thought a few moments before realizing that my illness could have indeed been brought on because of just that! Pregnant? I placed my hands over my stomach as fresh tears began to stream down my cheeks. My God… My angel was gone, and yet, there was a possibility that I was carrying his child! But what would Meg say? What would Madame Giry say? I wasn't sure, but to keep me and my possible child safe, I decided to keep everything a secret until I was absolutely sure.

The very next day, we arrived in the new world, a huge and strange statue of a woman greeted us. They called it the "Statue of Liberty" and oh, she was beautiful. Before either of us on board could enter the new world, we were forced to stand in a very long line in order to see a doctor. These doctors were to examine us to insure that we weren't carrying any kind of contagious disease. Madame Giry and Meg went before me, assuring that they would wait for me until I was finished. Madame Giry mentioned that she had some business to take care of and wandered off with Meg. After going behind a privacy sheet and stripping down to my undergarments, a man in a white coat entered. He was an older man, one that smiled and asked me my name. He placed a strange object against my chest and told me to breathe. Afterwards he did the same to my back and ordered me to breathe again.

"I'd say you're ok to go, Ms. Daae…I just have a few questions to ask. Routine is all…"

"All right."

"Are you married?"

"No."

"Have you been feeling ill in any manner since leaving Paris?"

"I…I did have a bout of morning sickness yesterday."

The doctor raised his brow. "When was your last monthly cycle?"

I thought for a few moments before realizing that I was late.

"A…A little over a month ago…"

"And have you been intimate with anyone?"

Tears were threatening to fall down my cheeks, but I held back and nodded.

"Then I should congratulate you on your pregnancy. I'd say you'll be giving birth by the end of October."

Pregnant? I was pregnant? As frightening as it was, I was extremely happy about it. I was going to have a baby, but not just a baby, my angel's baby. When the doctor left me to get dressed, I cried tears of joy, for I would always have a part of him beside me. Deciding not to tell Madame Giry and Meg until we were settled, I dried my eyes and prepared myself for the next part of my new life. After rejoining Madame Giry and Meg, we headed to another part of this place they called "New York." There were streets of buildings that housed these rooms called "Apartments." Madame Giry placed the first month's rent down for a two bedroom apartment and told Meg and I that we would need to find jobs in order to help pay for food and the next month's rent.

Everything was so exciting… The sounds, the smells, the views! This place was extremely different than Paris, and I was in love with it already. I only wished my angel were here, for I knew he would have loved it just as much as I did. I would have loved to get a job dancing or singing at a theater in the city, but instead, Meg and I found work at a gentleman's pub. It was close to home, and the pay was pretty decent. Not only did we get a salary, but whatever we made in tips, we were able to keep. The hours were long and the nights were extremely busy, but our boss Mr. Squelch told us time and time again that we were the hardest workers he had. Serving beer and peanuts to alcoholics wasn't my American dream, but it would do for now. It had been a month since we came to America, a month, and I had yet to tell Meg or Madame Giry about the child I was carrying. I knew I was going to have to spill the beans soon, for within another month, my stomach was going to start to show.

"The crowds are really riled up tonight," Meg began as she and I walked into the pub's kitchen to get more empty glasses.

I nodded. "I'm exhausted and we still have another two hours to go."

"Christine, could I ask you something?"

"Meg, we're practically sisters. You can ask me anything…"

"I've noticed that you've been sick in the mornings lately. Maybe you should see a doctor about it."

My heart stopped dead in my chest. I knew the jig was up and that I was going to have to tell Meg the truth.

"Meg, I know why I'm ill in the mornings sometime. I…I've known since we arrived in America. Meg…I…I'm pregnant."

I expected Meg to fall over in shock, but instead, she laughed…laughed! She thought I was joking!

"It may be April, Christine, but I'm not one for jokes."

"Meg, it's true…I'm not joking."

Meg instantly stopped laughing, her once happy smile had turned to seriousness.

"Christine, are you sure?"

"Yes, the doctor told me so."

"Christine, I've been with you ever since we arrived in New York. I've never seen you with any men."

If there was one thing I wasn't going to tell Meg or Madame Giry, it was that my child's father was my angel of music. No, that was something that could never be known. Therefore, I lied.

"A few nights before we eloped to New York, I slept with Raoul."

"But, Christine, you left him."

"I know, and I left Raoul because he left me in that cold damp lair with the Phantom of the Opera. Oh, Meg, I was so frightened, but Raoul sacrificed me for his own life. The Phantom told Raoul that he would let him live in exchange for me. And the Raoul did just that. He told me he loved me, and yet, he left me with the Phantom..."

"We have to tell my mother right away, Christine. You have to tell her everything."

Yes, it was a lie, but I was only doing it to protect my unborn child.

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**Chapter 3! Please review. This will become my main story once Master of the House is done in a week or so. Thanks again!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Christine's POV**

"You're what?"

When Meg and I arrived home for the evening, that's when everything hit the ceiling. Meg went running to her mother and blurted out everything. Yes, the part about Raoul was a complete lie, but I couldn't have told them both that I willingly slept with the murdering Phantom and that I was now carrying his child.

"And I guess you expect to keep this from Raoul?" Madame Giry questioned. "To never tell him about his child?"

"He left me with the Phantom!" I cried. "The Phantom spared Raoul's life for mine in return, and he did this without a second thought. I refuse to let him know about this child. He doesn't deserve to know."

"And what are your plans now? Babies are a lot of work and lots of money."

"I will get a second job if I have to. I don't know anything about being a mother, but when I get to hold my child for the first time, I do know that I will love it with all my heart. I will do my best to raise it and give it a good life, just like my papa gave me a good life."

"Very well," Madame Giry replied

Meg's eyes went wide with excitement. "Oh, Christine, I can't wait! I get to be an aunt! Oh, I am going to spoil this child rotten!"

I smiled, for Meg was more excited about this baby than I was. There were many nights after that one where I would lay awake thinking about this child. Sometimes, I would place my hand over my stomach and think about my angel of music and how he would have taken the news. Then, there were other nights when I would hum my child a lullaby. It comforted me, and I could only pray that this child would love music just as much as his father adored it. Spring and summer both came and went, the crowds at the pub never ceasing and only becoming busier as the summer season went on. After work on those hot nights, Meg and I would stroll down to the beach to walk along the side of the ocean. Those walks became few and far in between, especially once September arrived, for my stomach was so large, that it made it unbearable to walk. By the second week in September, I had to stay in bed, for I had come down with a terrible illness from the pregnancy. Feeling worried, Madame Giry sent over a doctor, who then told the terrible news that I may lose the baby before it was time to give birth. It brought me to tears, for I had carried this child nearly nine months without a problem and now this. No, I wouldn't lose this child…I needed to bring it into the world, for it was the only part of my angel that I had left. The doctor told me not only that, but that if the child was born there could be complications.

For the next two weeks I prayed to the lord above to save my child, and that no matter what it came out looking like, I would love it. Madame Giry and Meg had helped with preparing for the child's birth by knitting socks and purchasing a cradle. I knew if my angel were here, he would have built not only the cradle, but a rocking horse and everything else the child was going to need. The love for my angel was what kept me going, right up until the late night of October 28th. It had been an uneventful day, but late that evening, I awoke feeling wet, only to realize that my water had broken. I screamed for Madame Giry who then sent Meg running for the midwife. I was so frightened and scared about giving birth, but Madame Giry sat by my side for the next few hours while the agony of labor wracked my body. I thought my insides were tearing apart, but she assured me that it was just the baby getting ready to make its way into the world. When the midwife arrived, she checked every few minutes to see if I was ready to give birth. I prayed each time she looked that it would be time, and finally after six hours of labor, the midwife settled herself down at the end of my bed and instructed me to push. I was so exhausted and weak from the labor pains that I just wanted everything to be over.

"Push, Christine…"

I gave it all my might and pushed, feeling the little form of life leaving my body inch by inch.

"Again, Christine…I almost see the head."

This excited me, and I gathered enough strength to push again.

"The head is out…" I heard her say. "Just the shoulders now…One more push and your child will be born."

The last push was the most exhausting and painful one, but that cry…Oh, the sound of my child crying was something that brought tears to my eyes. If my angel were here, he would have compared those tiny cries to music. Though, at the same time, I was frightened, for what if my child had my angel's disfigured face? If it did, I knew that my lie would be no more and my child would forever be in danger.

"A boy," the midwife cried out. "It's a boy…"

The midwife swaddled my son in a blanket and placed his tiny form into my arms. When I dared to look down at him for the first time, what I saw melted my heart. He was beautiful! My little angel had a patch of chocolate hair on his head, and my angel's blue eyes. He was absolutely beautiful and I knew I would love him until the day I died.

"Hello," I cooed. "My little Gustave…"

Gustave, that was what I named my little angel of music. I would have named him after my angel, but I didn't know his first name. Therefore, I named him after my father and it fit him well. For the next three years, I spent every moment with my little boy. Some nights, I couldn't bear to put him in his cradle and had him sleep beside me in my bed. It was a bad habit to get him into, for even when he turned three, he continued to sleep beside me when he would wake from a nightmare. My child was smart, just like his father, for he walked before he crawled, and talked in small conversations before he was one. He was my little angel of music, and as each day passed, he began to look more and more like his father. Sometimes, I imagined that my angel would have looked like Gustave if he didn't carry a deformity. I only hoped that Madame Giry or Meg would never suspect it. But who could say otherwise? Both women treated Gustave as though he was one of their own. Madame Giry even babysat Gustave while I was out working with Meg at the pub. We were all one big happy family.

"Mama…" I woke one evening when I heard my child's frightened voice. I opened my eyes to see him standing at the side of my bed with his blanket wrapped around him.

"Gustave, sweetie, it's late."

"I had a bad dweam…Could I sweep with you?"

I lifted his small form into bed with me and covered him up.

"What did you dream, pumpkin?"

"That dada was a monster…He was on the beach and begging me to come to him. When I wan into his arms, he turned into a scawy monster."

"There are no such things as monsters, Gustave."

"Mama?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Where's dada?"

There had been many times in the past when Gustave had asked about his father. I had hoped that he wouldn't have started asking until he was older, but I knew he became curious after seeing other children playing with their fathers on the beach.

"Sweetie, I told you what happened to papa… He went to heaven before you were born."

"But why didn't he stay? Didn't he want to see me?"

"No one can choose when they go to heaven, Gustave. When the lord calls us home, we have no choice. Though, I know that he would have loved you more than anything in the world. Now, enough talking. I'm going to kiss you goodnight and close my eyes."

"Will you hum me my favorite lullaby?"

"For you, a thousand times over again."

And when my lullaby was finished, we were both fast asleep in each other's arms.

"You seem tired today, Christine," Meg said the following afternoon while we were at work. I couldn't help it, for she was right, I was exhausted.

"It's Gustave," I said. "He hasn't been sleeping lately. He wakes with these terrible nightmares and crawls into bed with me."

"I don't recall you ever having nightmares when you first came to the opera house."

"I didn't… He's been having nightmares about his father. Though, I keep telling him over and over again that he went to heaven. What else could I tell him? That his father is alive and an abusive man?"

"He needs a father. He's too young to grow up without one, and you're too beautiful not to find one for him."

Oh, I knew where this conversation was leading to.

"Meg, for the last time, I'm not going to flirt with the men who come to the pub. They're nothing but a bunch of drunks. That's not what I want for my child."

From out of her blouse, Meg pulled out a folded piece of paper.

"I was going to apply, but I think you need this job more than I do."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mr. Squelch gave it to me. Remember when we were on the beach last summer and saw all the construction going on around the abandoned area of the boardwalk?"

"How could I forget such a sight," I began. "There was so much noise."

"Mr. Squelch told me that they're building the new world. It's supposed to be a sanctuary for people with oddities and deformities. They're going to work and run this new world of amusements and fun. It's going to draw a lot of crowds when it opens in two weeks."

"Sounds strange…"

"The owner," Meg said. "He has a mansion on the other end of town. He has a friend who's friends with Mr. Squelch. This friend told Squelch that the owner is looking for a housekeeper, one that will cook and clean for him."

"I don't know, Meg. I don't know if I would feel comfortable working in a large house with a strange man lurking around."

"Mr. Squelch said that's the greatest part of the entire job. He said the owner is barely home, and won't be there at all once his new world opens. You'll get a key for yourself and clean for a few hours, and the man is supposedly paying top dollar for this new maid. Christine, you're crazy if you don't do it. Plus, you're sure to get the job because this man didn't advertise the position. He trusted Mr. Squelch to pick someone to do it. This would give you and Gustave a better life."

"What about you, Meg?"

"There will be more opportunities for me, Christine. You have a child to think about and this could be your chance to make some decent money for the both of you."

I looked down at the address and smiled, for Meg was right. Tomorrow I was going to go to this address and apply for the job. If I was lucky enough, I would get it, and my money troubles would be over. It was time to close the door to this life and open the door to a new one, for nothing mattered in this world but my son. I would do anything for him, and I knew that this was going to be the start of something wonderful.

* * *

**Chapter 4! It's been really fun writing this so far and I hope to have more people reading it once my latest story ends sometime next week. Please review! Thanks again, everyone. Let's see who this mysterious owner is...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Christine's POV**

The following morning, I woke bright and early in order to give myself enough time to get ready for the job interview. After slipping on one of my nicer dresses, I turned to find my son standing in the doorway with a plate in hand. I smiled, for his hair was sticking up in all directions. It was apparent that he had just woken as well. My little angel was just like his father, for he barely slept more than a few hours a night.

"I made you bweakfast, mama…" he said, entering my room and placing the plate down on my bed. It wasn't much, but the two pieces of toast would be enough to keep me smiling for the rest of the day.

"That was very kind of you, Gustave," I said, sitting down to enjoy my breakfast.

"Nana Giry said that you're going for a new job today…She said you're cleaning for the king of New York."

"King?" I giggled. "I wouldn't call him a king. He's the owner of a new park that's opening, a world for the strange people of New York."

"Then he's a king…"

I couldn't help but laugh for my son was more special than anything on this earth.

"You be good for Nana Giry and Aunt Meg today. When I get home, I'll take you out to dinner."

"Yes, mama…"

After kissing my angel goodbye, I grabbed the piece of paper with the address on it and headed out. My heart raced within my chest as I walked from our end of the city to the other. Though, this part of the city wasn't like the one I lived in, for it was a neighborhood lined with beautiful homes. There were beautiful fences and backyards that faced the ocean. I looked at all the house numbers until I came across the one that was the same as the one on the piece of paper. The house was black with white shutters on each window. There wasn't much of a yard, but the black iron fence that lined the house made up for the loss of property with its beauty. I approached the front door and reached out for the gargoyle knocker. After knocking, I stood back and waited for someone to answer, my mind picturing who lived here.

When the door opened, I wasn't met with a man, but an older woman. She smiled and stepped aside to let me in.

"You must be Christine?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am."

"I'm Mrs. Squelch," she replied. "I believe you work for my son. He runs the pub down town."

This was Mr. Squelch's mom? I found it strange, for the woman looked nothing like him, but perhaps that was because her son was covered in black tattoos.

"Are you the current caretaker of the home?" I asked.

"Well, Mr. Mulheim has been living here about two months, so I decided to lend a hand. But, I'm an old woman, and there are things I simply cannot do anymore. That's why I talked to the master about getting a younger woman to do the work."

We stepped into the family room, and oh, what a marvelous room it was. There was beauty all around, for the windows were large and draped in black curtains. There were beautiful red couches and a marble coffee table in the center of the room. It was strange, for there was even a piano placed by the window. It made me sad, for it reminded me so much of my angel.

"The master doesn't really spend any time in here, but it will need to be dusted from time to time. Come, I'll show you the rest of the house."

This house was like a dream come true. There were winding staircases, dark and mysterious hallways, rooms that were empty because they weren't being occupied, and even a large kitchen with the latest appliances.

"The master will leave you out a request on what he wants to eat for dinner each morning before he leaves. You'll make it and leave it on the stove."

After showing me where the food was, I followed the woman up the stairs and into a large room that looked like an office.

"This is the master's office. You are to sweep up and dust around the furniture, but don't touch any of his work. He will know if anything is moved and he will be enraged. Are we clear?"

I nodded, feeling a bit afraid, just the way I used to be afraid around my angel. The last place we visited was the bedroom. Mrs. Squelch showed me inside where there was a large four poster bed and another piano. There was also a wardrobe and a dresser placed on the other side of the room.

"The master will keep his dirty clothes in this bin. You are to take out his dirty clothes, take them to the basement and wash them. There is a clothes line hanging up, you'll see it."

The last thing the woman did was give me her key to the house.

"Doesn't the master want to meet me?" I asked. "That way he won't think there's an intruder here?"

"The master is never really here, Christine, and even when he is, he doesn't speak. He keeps to himself."

I didn't think much of it, but I was glad that I had a job. Once I arrived home, I took Gustave and treated him to some pizza on the boardwalk. From the booth we were sitting in, we could see the new world that was being built.

"And you see, Gustave," I said, pointing out the window. "That's the new world. The man who's building that is the owner of the house that I clean."

"What was he like, mama?" Gustave asked, stuffing his slice of saucy pizza into his tiny mouth. "Is he a nice man?"

"I don't know sweetheart, I didn't meet him. The woman that showed me around today said he never really speaks to anyone."

"He must be very lonely."

"Maybe, but there are worst things in the world, honey."

"Will you take me to the new world, mama? When it opens?"

I nodded. "I promise, angel."

"Mama?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"What was papa wike? Was he nice? Do I wook wike him?"

I smiled and embraced my son's flawless cheek. "You, angel, are exactly like him."

The next few days were uneventful. I did everything Mrs. Squelch had instructed me to do, including cooking for him. Each night before I left, I left dinner on the stove for him, hoping that he would like it. It was nothing much, just soup and pasta, but it's what he had requested. On my one week anniversary, I had been cleaning the master's clothes down in the basement, when I heard footsteps going across the floor upstairs. Curious, I finished folding his shirts and walked up the stairs.

"Hello?"

I called out, only to hear the master's bedroom door slam shut. Feeling that it was too early, I checked the time. It was half past five, and nearly time to make dinner. I headed into the kitchen to check the menu for the night, seeing that he wanted chicken broth. It was easy enough, and thirty minutes later, it was finished. That's when I heard the familiar footsteps coming down the stairs. It wasn't only footsteps though, but something else as well. It sounded like an extra added footstep, which could only be made by a staff or cane.

"Is my dinner ready?"

My body froze stiff the moment I heard that voice. I've heard that voice a million times before in the past, so many times that it would be impossible not to recognize it. Tears rushed to my eyes as I spun around to face the man, and master of the house. It was my angel… He was standing right in front of me, white mask and all. He was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, his neck covered in scars caused by that horrible beating those many years ago. In his hand, he held a staff to support his body weight on. As he took a step closer to me, I watched the way his legs moved and noticed that there was indeed something wrong with his legs. I looked up at him, wanting nothing more than to throw my arms around him, but he didn't seem to recognize me. He gave me a strange look before walking right past me to get to the stove. His hand shook as he reached out to fill a bowl up with the broth. Oh, my angel never acted like this. What had that mob done to this poor man and why didn't he recognize me?

"You can clean up and lock up. I'll be here for the remainder of the night."

And just like that, he passed by, his hand shaking as he held his bowl of soup. No, I wouldn't let him just pass me by. I wasn't sure if he was ignoring me on purpose, or if he didn't truly know who I was.

"Angel?" I ran after him, meeting him at the stairs. He was already two stairs up when he heard me yell for him. He paused and turned to look at me. "Angel, why are you doing this?"

"Girl, I don't know what's wrong with you, but you need to continue with your work."

"Angel, it's me…Christine."

"I don't know you, girl. Are you mental?"

Mental? Mental? After all that we had been through, and now this. I ran to his side and embraced his body, causing him to wail out in pain. It was obvious that the mob had truly hurt him.

"Enough!" he grabbed my hand and pushed me away from him. "I don't know who you think you are, but this has to stop. I won't think twice about firing you if you continue with this nonsense."

"You're from the Paris Opera House…" I cried. "I was your student and you were my teacher."

"You're mad! You're simply mad, girl! Clean up down there and be gone for the night. I don't want to hear another word out of you."

And with that being said, he hurried back upstairs, leaving me standing there in tears. What was wrong with him? How could he not remember me? After everything we had been through… Knowing that I would need to find out what happened, I finished up in the kitchen and left his home like he had told me to do. When I arrived back in my room, I couldn't help but break down. I was glad that Meg had taken Gustave to the beach, for I didn't want him to see me like this. Madame Giry must have heard my sobs, for she was soon standing in the doorway to my room.

"Christine? Is there something wrong?"

I shook my head, not knowing how to answer her. If I told her about my angel and about all we had been through, there was no telling what trouble I would cause myself.

"Christine, did something happen today at work? I thought you loved your new job."

"I do… It's just that…I…I met the owner of the house today."

"And? Meg told me that her boss told her that he is a brilliant man."

"He is," I began. "But I knew this all along. I've known how brilliant he is for years. I've known how wonderful he is for a long time, and when I seen it again today, it not only frightened me, but hurt me as well."

"What?" she questioned. "What are you saying?"

Knowing that I needed to tell Madame Giry the truth, I blurted everything out.

"It's him, Madame…The owner of the new world is him."

"Who, Christine?"

I could feel more tears rushing to my eyes as I told Madame Giry the truth.

"The Phantom of the Opera."

* * *

**DUN DUN DUN~~~ It's Erik! But let's see if he's doing this on purpose or because he really doesn't know who she is. Stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Christine's POV**

"Christine, this is no joke…"

"I'm not joking, Madame… It's him. I thought I was seeing things, but I wasn't. He was standing there before my very eyes."

"Then we should notify the authorities…"

No, this was exactly what I didn't want to happen. I needed to say something quick, otherwise, there was going to be trouble.

"Madame, he means me no harm."

"If it truly was the Phantom, Christine, there's no telling what he will do."

"Madame, he doesn't remember me."

Madame Giry raised a curious brow. "I find that very hard to believe, Christine. That man adored you. Three years isn't going to erase one man's memory."

"I think something happened to his memory. On the night Meg rescued me, the mob came down to his lair and hurt him. He looked me straight in the eye tonight and didn't say a word. I even tried to provoke his memory by reminding him who I was. He swore he didn't know anyone named Christine. Please don't tell the authorities. He's harmless…"

Madame Giry thought long and hard before nodding. "If he lays one hand on you, Christine, I will call the authorities."

I nodded, knowing that it would never come down to that. I was terrified to return the work the following day, for I didn't want to face my angel again. Knowing that he didn't know who I was hurt me deep inside, but what was I to do? I was just cleaning up the kitchen, when I heard the front door open. My heart began to race, for if I had to see him again and hear his words of confusion, I would simply break down in front of him.

"Ah, the new housekeeper." I did not turn at first, for I didn't recognize the voice. When I dared to face the man behind me, I soon realized that it was not my angel, but Nadir Khan. I had met him one or two times back in Paris while I was with my angel. I wasn't sure if he would recognize me, but the moment I turned to face him, his jaw dropped.

"No, it can't be…"

"Monsieur Khan," I cried. "It's really you…"

There was a moment of silence, and then Nadir spoke.

"How long have you been here in New York?"

"Three years. I…I was told that the king of the new world needed a housekeeper. When I applied, I never expected the owner to be…to be him."

"Christine, don't speak like that about him. He's been through hell these last three years."

"Monsieur Khan, I'm sorry…He…He told me to stay put no matter what I heard or saw. He made me swear it."

"Christine, I know. I do not blame you for what happened. You did what you had to do."

"Meg took me out of his lair and I saw so much blood. I…I thought he was dead."

"No, Christine, death would have been a blessing compared to the condition I found him in. When I heard that the mob had murdered the Phantom, I slipped down into his lair. I didn't expect to find his body, but I did. They left him hanging over the lake by his neck. When I cut him down, I didn't think he was still alive, but when I pressed my head to his chest, I heard the faintest beat of his heart. There was a doctor that I trusted and that's where I took him. Five broken ribs, two mangled legs and a body full of scars was what he was left with."

Tears rushed to my eyes, for I should have never left him. He was probably frightened and scared and I had left him.

"But that wasn't all, Christine. When he woke, he didn't remember anything about the beating. He knew his name, and what he was, but he remembered nothing about the mob coming down to his lair."

"We met face to face last night, Monsieur Khan. I wanted to run to him and embrace him, but he didn't know who I was. I tried to reason with him. I tried to tell him who I was, but he just looked at me and swore he knew nothing."

"There isn't much about the past that he does remember, Christine. I brought him here last year when the doctor told me the Paris winters were too harsh for him, and the summers weren't warm enough. He's in constant agony because of the beating and he has to wear a brace on his left leg to keep it from giving out. The new world he's building is going to give him sanctuary and money to live on. This is the kind of start he needs, Christine."

I couldn't take it any longer and broke down. I fell to my knees and sobbed… My angel, my poor angel. I should have stayed. I should have stayed by his side. If I had, then perhaps he would have never forgotten me.

"Christine? What's wrong?"

"My angel…I came back to him after he let me go. We…We slept with one another. I was going to stay with him, love him, I was even considering marriage down the road. But no…The mob came down and shattered everything."

I wiped my eyes, but more tears continued to fall. "Monsieur Khan, I have his child."

Nadir's eyes went wide. "You what?"

"Meg and Madame Giry smuggled me out of Paris. A little while after arriving here, I found out I was with child. I told everyone that he belongs to Raoul in order to protect him. He's my angel's son. He's the only one I've been with."

"Christine…I…I don't know what to say."

"Tell me how to make him remember? Tell me how to make my angel remember me so that I can tell him about his son. My child needs a father and I need him."

Nadir thought a few moments before he shook his head. "Christine, there are times that I bring up things from the past to him and he gets upset and claims that I don't know what I'm talking about. You know how his temper is. That's why I just concentrate on the present."

"There has to be something we can do…Something I can do. I can't continue to work under his roof and have him acting as though I am a stranger. It will eat me up inside."

"They say that sometimes someone can slowly start to remember things again, but it takes a long time, sometimes years. I'm sure it would help if you pretend you don't know him and try to gain his friendship. But you must take it slow with him, Christine. His memory is not well and if you push him too hard he will snap."

"Thank you, Monsieur Khan."

"I think you're going to need all the luck you can get. Anyway, Erik is not feeling well this afternoon and I'm sure he will be back to rest before the day is out. His new park is opening in two days and it's been running him ragged."

I rose my brow in curiosity. "Erik?"

Nadir smiled. "That, Christine, would be the name of your angel. Though, I would highly stress that you continue calling him Monsieur Mulheim. The only ones who know his name are me and him. Keep that a secret until he's ready to tell it to you."

Before heading out, Nadir turned to me one last time. "What is his name, Christine?"

"Who?"

"Your son, Erik's son. What is his name?"

I smiled. "Gustave."

With a simple nod, he left the house, leaving me alone once more. Each morning when I would arrive to work, the first thing I would check was Erik's dinner request. Tonight he wanted carrots and beef. I was just coming out of the pantry with the items needed to make him his dinner when I saw him entering the kitchen. When he noticed me standing there, he paused and leaned against his staff that had a skull shaped top on it.

"I know I requested carrots and beef tonight, but I'd like to change it to chicken broth."

I had turned around to place the items on the counter. Though, when I spun around to face him, he was already making his way up the stairs.

"Bring it to me in my bedroom when you're finished with it."

There was something different about him, something different in the way he presented himself. Yes, he was going to be the master of hundreds of workers, which was probably the reason why he carried himself so professionally. When his meal was finished cooking, I placed a serving of the steaming broth in a bowl and placed that bowl on a tray with a cup of tea. Afterwards, I slowly made my way up to his room. Usually, I would have knocked, but since he requested that I bring him his meal, I walked right in. My angel was seated in his arm chair and had a stack of papers in his lap. I cleared my throat to make myself known, and when he heard me, he waved his shaky arm towards his desk.

"Place it down over there and close the door on your way out."

Yes, I could have done just that, but I wanted things to be different between us. I wanted to be treated as his friend, not as his brainless maid.

"Monsieur, I believe we got off yesterday on the wrong foot. I didn't mean to accuse you of being someone, it's just that I thought you looked familiar is all. I'm Christine, Christine Daae."

I had hoped that saying my name would strike something in his memory, but it did the complete opposite.

"I don't care what your name is, girl. Your job is to cook, clean and wash my clothes. You are to do that job in silence, are we clear?"

"Where is your wife?"

"I don't have a wife, and you're not going to have a job if you continue talking."

My angel continued to sit in his chair, his shaky hand running over the document he was looking at. I stood there, still not wanting to leave just yet. When my eyes found his piano, I spoke again.

"You like music?"

"It suits me," he murmured.

Music had always been something we connected with, and I knew if I did this right, I could at least connect with him in some way. I approached the beautiful piano and placed my fingers over the keys.

"I…I had a teacher who played the piano once."

I got no reaction out of him, not even when I pressed down on a random key.

"He was a musical genius. I often thought that he would one day play for all the world. To me, he was the best pianist in the country. Will you play something for me?"

"I don't play," he growled. "I haven't played in years."

"Surely you must be joking."

"No, there was an accident. I…I don't remember much about what happened, but the nerves in my hands were damaged. They shake uncontrollably when I attempt to do something. It prevents me from playing the piano like I once did. I've been exercising my nerves to steady them enough to play, but…" he paused. "Simple songs, yes, but nothing long and exhausting."

"Like Don Juan Triumphant?"

Our one moment was ruined, for as soon as he heard the words escape my lips, he turned and stood on his quaking legs.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing," I replied. "It was nothing."

"No, you said Don Juan. I heard it as clear as day. Have you been going through my things?"

"What? Of course not…"

And just like that, my angel grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me close to him. "If I ever find out that you've been rooting through my belongings, I will not only fire you, but cut off your hands."

With that, he shoved me towards the door.

"Get out! And if you ever say a word to me again, I will cut out your tongue."

* * *

**Well apparently Erik is still as mean and angry as ever. Oh, let me clear one thing up. Some of you have been asking if this is a modern day tale... No, it's set in the early 1900's like Love Never Dies... Though, don't worry, this is going far beyond Love Never Dies. I'm trying to keep it in the same era but not the same story line. Thanks to the ton of Phans who already joined this story. It's going to be a fun journey so hang on tight! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Christine's POV**

That night when I arrived home, my son was already in bed. I crawled in beside him and ran my hand through his chocolate locks. My son deserved a father so much, and I wanted Erik to be there for him.

"Mama?"

When I heard his small voice, I looked down to see him staring up at me.

"Yes, angel?"

"Nana Giry said you were sad today. Did something happen?"

"Nothing happened, angel. It's just that I saw someone from my past. He doesn't remember me and it hurts."

"Why doesn't he remember you?"

"He got hurt in the head and his memory isn't as good as it used to be. Nothing to worry about though, angel. I know he will remember me soon enough."

"Goodnight, mommy…"

When my angel was back asleep, I lay awake thinking about my angel, wondering if he were thinking about the past. When I could no longer keep my eyes open, I drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, I looked out the window, finding it raining cats and dogs. I rose from my bed and covered my child up. After slipping on a dress, I headed downstairs to get breakfast before my trek to work. It was Friday, making it my last day until the weekend was over.

"How has the Phantom been?" came Madame Giry's voice. I spun around to find her standing near the sink. I made myself a cup of tea and looked up at her.

"He's been fine," I snapped. "He hasn't done anything."

"Perhaps you could work on getting a few free passes to his new world."

"Madame, how could you expect me to ask him for free passes? I hardly speak to him. He's not the friendliest of business men."

Madame Giry shrugged her shoulders. "If not for us, do it for Gustave. The child has done nothing but brag to Meg about how he wants to go there. Tomorrow is opening day, and what better way to get in than to ask the owner for passes."

Knowing that I wouldn't get out of the house without agreeing, I nodded and finished up my tea.

"And take an umbrella, Christine." Madame Giry scolded. "You'll catch your death out there."

Walking to my angel's home in the wind and rain was anything but pleasant, for not only was it extremely humid, but the wind caused the rain to blow in my face. I was never so happy when I entered his home and got out of the dreadful weather. After wringing out the skirts of my dress, I started my day by entering the kitchen to see what he wanted for dinner. I thought something was wrong when I noticed that he hadn't left any requests. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but went about my day. I knew he'd be home sooner or later due to the horrible weather and I would ask him then. After heading down to the basement to fold his shirts that had been hanging on the clothes line, I carried the small stack of shirts up to his room and placed them into his wardrobe. The way he kept his room was the same messiness as his lair back in Paris. How badly I wanted to straighten up, but knew better than to do so. If there was one thing I didn't want, it was to see his temper again. Therefore, I spent the next hour sweeping the stairs and dusting the family room that he barely used.

As the hours passed, the weather only worsened, for the wind became too unbearable. That was when I heard the front door opening and spotted my angel walking in. He was soaked to the bone and he didn't even have an umbrella to keep him dry. Knowing that he would catch his death, I dropped what I had been doing and hurried to his side. Usually, back in Paris, I wouldn't hesitate on touching him, but given the circumstances, I asked before I dared to make a move.

"Monsieur, you're soaking wet."

"It's raining," he angrily snapped. "That's what happens when it rains."

"Could I take your jacket from you?"

At first, he attempted to complete the task on his own, but when I saw him wincing in pain, I came to his aid and removed it for him.

"Your clothes are soaked too," I added. "You should change."

"I don't need you to tell me what I should do. You're not my mother… I had a mother and she was an evil woman."

"I'm sorry, monsieur. I just want to help you is all."

Believing that he knew my intentions, he nodded. "Follow me, girl."

I didn't want to argue, therefore, I followed him up to his room. Once we were there, he went behind the privacy wall he had near his bed. I didn't follow him, for I knew what he was going to do. When I saw him throw his shirt up over the side, something buried deep within me coursed through my body. How badly I wanted to go to him and see his naked flesh before my very eyes again. I wanted to feel him more than anything in the world.

"Get me a pair of dry clothes out of the wardrobe, please…"

When I heard his command, I didn't hesitate on doing so. After picking out a black dress shirt and a clean pair of trousers, I didn't think twice about walking around the wall to hand them the garments. Oh, but that was just it! I was so lost in my emotions that I forgot about handing the clothes over the wall to him. The moment I came around the corner and saw him standing there without a shirt, I gasped, but not in fear…No, I gasped because I wanted nothing more than to feel those scars against my own bare chest.

"What is wrong with you!" he snapped, his arms flying up to his chest to cover himself. I didn't want to look away, but I had no choice. I quickly backed away, but not before getting a glance at the horrible damage the mob had done to him. His chest was slightly caved in and his back was covered in lumpy burns and scars that had never healed.

"Forgive me, monsieur. I wasn't thinking…"

It took him so long to get dressed and I could hear him wincing with every movement he made. When he stepped out from behind the wall, he had a disgusted look upon his face.

"Don't overstep your bounds again, are we clear?"

"Yes, monsieur."

"Good, take my wet clothing to the wash room downstairs and then, meet me in the kitchen. I'd like my dinner now."

"You didn't leave a menu for me today, monsieur."

"A cheese sandwich is what I want, and I want it in ten minutes."

I couldn't stop wondering what had happened to my sweet angel, but I wanted him back. This man was not the Erik I knew back in Paris. He had been replaced with a monster. After placing his wet clothing downstairs in the wash bin, I hurried back upstairs to the kitchen to prepare his meal. While I made his sandwich, I noticed my angel sitting at the large dining room table looking over some of his documents. Every few moments, I would see his hand reach down to rub the side of his chest that had been injured by the mob. He didn't deserve to live like this, for it had been my fault. If he would have just let me help him instead of making me promise to stay hidden, I could have saved him.

"Here you are," I softly said, placing the plate down in front of him. My angel's blue eyes gazed at the sandwich before he made another request.

"There should be a vial of pills up in the third cabinet," he said. "Give me two of them."

I did as he asked, curious as to what these horse sized pills were for. My angel placed each one into his mouth and struggled to swallow them, even after gulping down a mouthful of his water.

"Monsieur, I know it's not my place to ask, but what are they for? Just in case something happens."

"Such as?" he growled. I knew he was getting angry with me wanting to know his business.

"Well, in case they were for your heart."

"They're not for my heart, girl. They are for my pain."

"Pain, monsieur?"

To be smart with me, he pushed out his chair and lifted up his left pant leg to reveal a metal brace of some sort encased tightly around his leg. It didn't look comfortable at all, and from what I could see of his flesh, it was marked with bruises from having to wear it.

"I need this brace to keep my leg from buckling. Without it, not only would I be crippled, but I wouldn't be able to keep my knee in place. The pain is so severe that it keeps me up at night. Each day I have a thousand cramps in this very leg, cramps that feel as though someone is twisting off my limb with their very hands. Those pills you keeping asking about are my only means of relief from the pain. Without them I wouldn't be able to function."

With that, my angel tossed down his pant leg and took a sip of his water. I was now at a loss for words, for I didn't know what to say.

"Tomorrow is opening day for your park. It must be exciting."

"It's anything but. It's so stressful and I know I probably won't sleep a wink tonight. Everything has to be perfect tomorrow, otherwise, I will fail."

"I know everyone is excited to see it. My son…" I stopped when I said the words, for how could I possibly speak about Gustave around my angel? Not when things were like this.

"I didn't know you were married."

"I'm not…"

"Having a child out of wedlock is highly frowned upon."

"Something terrible happened to him. We…We confessed our love to one another and spent the night wrapped up in each other's arms. We talked about marriage afterwards, but that never happened. He died and I found out later that I was pregnant with his child. That was three years ago."

I tried to hold back my tears, for I wanted to break down and cry.

"And I'm sure every time you look at your son you hate him because he looks just like your fallen lover."

"No, I don't… I love my son more than anything in the world because he looks like…like…"

I couldn't hold back any longer and cried. I sobbed into my hands and tried to stop, but it was impossible.

"Oh, enough…"

My angel held out his handkerchief to me and I took it to wipe my eyes.

"Your son has been impressed with Phantasma has he?"

Phantasma? Was that the name of my angel's park? Oh, it fit him so well…

"Yes, he's always bragging about how fun it looks."

My angel reached into a drawer that was behind him and pulled out a long roll of tickets. With the click of his pen, he began writing on each ticket. Afterwards he handed me two of them.

"That's two passes for opening day tomorrow. You will be able to get in without paying admission and you can ride any of the attractions you want along with seeing the shows…All at no cost for you and your son."

I smiled, for this was the first kindness my angel had done for his son.

"Thank you, monsieur."

"Don't thank me… Take your son to Phantasma tomorrow, feed him all the cotton candy he can eat and let him ride until he gets sick. That's what this new world is all about after all."

And after leaving my angel's home for the night I looked at the two tickets he had given me and knew that I would always cherish them.

* * *

**Aww, well he does seem to have a caring soul...Well, since my other story is done now, I shall be updating more often. Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Christine's POV**

The next morning, I rose extra early and dressed. The rain had stopped and yes, usually I enjoy sleeping in on a Saturday, but I wanted to take my son to Phantasma.

"Pumpkin, wake up…" I approached the bed he was sleeping in and shook his shoulder.

"Pumpkin, I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" he groggily replied, sitting up to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

I handed him the two tickets and smiled. "The owner of the new world gave me two passes to get in today. Come on, get dressed."

My son instantly woke up the moment he heard me say those exact words. He flew to his feet and hurried to the wardrobe closet for his clothes. After throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt, he was ready to go. He was singing and hurrying down the stairs, causing Madame Giry to come walking out of the kitchen.

"Gustave, what on earth are you doing up at such an early hour?"

"Mama is taking me to the new world, Nana Giry…"

"So," Madame Giry began, looking up at me. "The master has given you free passes?"

"Yes, two of them. One for me and one for my son."

"I'm sure he would have given you two more, Christine. Thanks for asking…"

"Madame, I don't see why you would want to go to Phantasma. It's for children. He was being nice and told me to take my son."

Madame Giry raised her brow before shaking her head. "I will remember that, Christine."

I knew Madame Giry was only trying to upset me, which was why I left with Gustave before she could say another word. I wasn't sure why she wanted to go to Phantasma in the first place. My guess was that she wanted to go in order to spy on my angel. My son excitedly jumped up and down as we walked closer towards the new world, which was already mobbed with tons of people. After getting our tickets clipped, we entered and oh, what a beautiful world it was. There were strange animals everywhere, animals that you would only see in books. Gustave squealed in excitement as we passed each one. There were beautiful buildings with skulls and scary faces painted on them, freaks of all shapes and sizes performing on every corner. This was my angel's world, and he had done well. I knew he had it in him, for he was a genius at heart. Outside of every strange attraction and amusement there was some sort of food stand selling strange snacks and concessions I had never heard of before. Ann odd twisted piece of bread that was called a "pretzel," and a long piece of meat with ketchup on it…I think they called it a "hotdog." Those were just a few of the many strange things in this world to eat. For hours my son and I enjoyed ourselves. We rode the rides and watched the performers do magic tricks and frightening stunts. It was a little after lunch time when my son ran from my side, screaming something about wanting to explore. Frightened that I would lose sight of him, I yelled and chased my child through the streets, knowing that when I caught up with him there would be consequences.

"Gustave, stop!"

My son was already running through the doors of a building that had a mural of a skeleton painting on it. Oh, what was he up to? This wasn't an attraction. I had entered through the same doors, finding that it was a warehouse of some sort. The bottom floor was empty save for a few broken down bumper cars and a horse from the carousel. My son was already running up to investigate the carousel horse, when I grabbed his arm.

"Gustave, no…" I pulled him to my side to scold him, but before I had the chance to do so, I heard a familiar voice echo throughout the warehouse.

"I thought I had locked the doors behind me, but it's obvious that I made a mistake."

I wasn't sure where the voice was coming from but when I looked up, I saw my angel standing on the second floor of the warehouse. It really wasn't much of a second floor, for the floor reminded me of a fire escape because it was made of metal and I could see through it. My angel had a desk and a nice work area set up on the second level and that's where he was standing. The moment my son got a good look at him, he gasped and hid behind my leg.

"It's all right, sweetheart," I said. "This is my boss, the owner of the new world."

With the assistance of his staff, he slowly worked his way down the stairs and I found it frightening to watch at times, for he seemed as though he were going to fall at any second.

"Monsieur, I'm sorry," I began. "I didn't mean to come in here. My son ran off, forgive me."

"I left the doors unlocked by mistake, so you are not at fault."

My angel was standing right in front of me now. He was eyeing my child and had the strangest look upon his face.

"Is that your son?"

I nodded. "Yes. Gustave, don't be rude."

I pulled him out from behind my leg and stood him in front of me. I held back every emotion, for this was the first time my son and his father were meeting face to face.

"Gustave, this is Monsieur Mulheim."

"Have we met before?" my angel questioned. "Forgive me, it's just that he looks so familiar. I can't put my finger on it, but I swear I've seen that face before."

I had a lump in my throat, for I knew what he meant. I knew why Gustave seemed so familiar to him. It was because Gustave was a miniature version of himself. I wanted to scream it to the Gods above, but knew that it would only worsen the situation.

"Why do you wear a mask?" Came Gustave's curious voice. "Are you a magician?"

"Gustave," I scolded. "Don't be rude."

"It's quite all right," my angel began, reaching out to place his hand behind Gustave's ear. "You see, Gaston…"

"Gustave," I politely corrected.

"You see, Gustave, I am a magician of sorts," I wasn't sure how he did it, but my angel produced a coin from out of nowhere, making it seem as though he pulled it right from Gustave's ear. My son clapped his hands together in excitement and begged him to do it again.

"How are you enjoying Phantasma?" he asked me. "Do you like it? Be truthful, for you're the first customer I'm asking."

"Gustave and I love it. Thank you for the passes, you didn't have to do that."

"It's the least I could do seeing that you have to put up with my messes every day of the week."

"Well," I said, taking my son's hand into my own. "We'll leave you alone. I'm sure you were working on something important."

"Mama…" my son tugged on my skirts. "Mama, I'm hungry."

"All right," I said. "We'll get lunch in a second. We should say our goodbyes to Monsieur Mulheim."

"Actually," my angel began. "I was about to take my lunch break."

"Could you eat lunch with us?" Gustave asked.

"Gustave, I'm sure Monsieur Mulheim has better things to do."

"Well," My angel said. "I know a place that serves up a great hotdog. It's the first of its kind."

Was my angel asking us to lunch? If he was, I wasn't sure how I was going to keep myself from sobbing.

"Mama, please…"

Knowing that it would be a good start in our relationship, I nodded and followed Erik out of the warehouse. The crowds were horrible and it seemed to take us forever to reach a small restaurant that had a line forming out the door. By the time we got our lunch, it would be dinner. Though, we did not go through the front door…No, my angel took us around back. I was hesitant at first, but when he held open the back door for me, we went inside. The door led us to the kitchen where my angel greeted a tall middle aged man.

"How's business today?" my angel asked him.

The man smiled. "Already sold five hundred hotdogs and counting."

"Gustave, Madame, I'd like you to meet Charles Feltman, the inventor of the hotdog."

The man shook my hand and went on to show Gustave how to make one of these hotdogs. Afterwards, my angel had Feltman make a few to go and we found a table that faced the ocean and was far away from the crowds. The hotdog was new to me, but delicious all the same. Even my son enjoyed it, though, by the time he was finished, he had mustard stains all over his mouth.

"Mama, can I chase the birdies on the beach?"

Neither I nor my angel were finished with our lunch, therefore, I nodded.

"Stay close," I warned. "No further than the trashcan."

With that, my child went off running in the sand.

"Children are so full of energy," my angel stated. "They fascinate me."

I swallowed hard. "You don't have any of your own?"

He shook his head. "Women don't seem to turn their heads to give me a second glance and if they do, it's for all the wrong reasons."

I sighed in relief, for at least he hadn't been with anyone but me. It would have hurt to know that he had slept with another woman.

"New York is a big world," I said. "It seems as though everyone finds their one true love here."

"Not me," he said. "Not yet, at least. You have a beautiful child, um…I'm sorry, I don't remember your name."

"Christine," I said. "Christine Daae…"

My angel closed his eyes as if he were thinking hard. "Daae…Oh, that sounds so familiar. I think I was standing beside someone with that last name when I was on Ellis Island. Though, there isn't much I can remember anymore."

I had hoped that he would remember my name, but it seemed as though he hadn't.

"You're from Paris, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, I was born there..."

"I was born in Sweden, but I was moved to Paris once my papa died. I lived in the Paris opera house with the ballerinas."

I had thought this would jog his memory, but it didn't. He just nodded as though he didn't know what the Paris opera house was.

"I really must be getting back," he said, rising to his unsteady feet and gathering his trash. "I have a lot of stops to make before the day is out. I will see you on Monday, maybe…If I'm not too busy."

"All right, Monsieur."

"Christy…"

"Christine," I corrected.

"Right, Christine… Forgive me, I'm horrible with names. Christine, I think we're past formalities. My name is Erik, and you can call me Erik if you wish."

I smiled, for the name fit him so well.

"I will see you Monday, Erik."

And just like that he was gone. A few moments later, my son plopped into my lap, his legs and feet covered in sand.

"Oh, pumpkin, look at you. Come on, let's go home and get washed up."

"Mama, where did Monsieur Mulheim go?"

"He went back to work, pumpkin."

"I like him, I think he's nice."

I giggled. "Do you now? He is pretty nice, isn't he?"

"When can we see him again?"

"Hopefully soon, darling. I'm seeing him Monday when I return to work."

"I want him to teach me his magic tricks."

"And I'm sure he would teach you if you asked him nicely."

That was how our perfect day ended. Things were going wonderfully so far, and I could only hope that within time, Erik's memory would return, for I had so much to show him.

* * *

**Awwww... Some fluff for you! Perhaps Erik isn't such a bad person after all... Thank you all for reviewing so far and I'd like to thank my Beta! Without her, I don't know where I would be. Thanks again everyone!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Christine's POV**

I was surprised when I arrived at my angel's house on Monday to find him there. After filling up a bucket with water and soap, I carried it up the stairs to his room to wash the floor. When I opened the closed door, I gasped, for I never expected to find him sitting at his desk.

"Erik," I gasped. "Forgive me, I didn't think you were home."

He pressed his eyes closed and pressed the palm of his hand against his head. It was obvious that something was wrong.

"Erik?"

"I should have gone to work today, but I couldn't… I woke with an excruciating headache. I get them so much and it stops me from being able to concentrate."

"I can make you a cup of tea…You have natural herbs in the kitchen that I could add into it."

"Thank you…"

I worked quickly at getting Erik his tea. When I came back to his room, I found him leaning over his desk as though he were in agony. I placed his tea down beside him, but he did not stir.

"Erik? Erik, are you all right?"

He lightly groaned, and I helped him sit up.

At the same time, there was a knock at the door downstairs.

"Go get the door…" he groaned. "I'll be all right."

I didn't want to leave him, but listened and hurried downstairs. After pulling the door open, I found Nadir standing there.

"Ah, Christine, is Erik home?"

I nodded. "He's not well."

Nadir's face instantly changed and he went hurrying up the stairs after telling me to stay put. I wasn't sure what was wrong with him, but a few moments later, Nadir was helping Erik down the stairs.

"I don't need to go, Persian…"

"Yes, you do…You have a terrible headache and the doctors told you that they're not healthy. You're going to the doctors."

Before leaving, Erik turned to me and handed me his cup of tea. "I'll be back in a little bit. This ignorant man is forcing me to see a doctor."

And when they were both gone, I went about my day. I cleaned the floor in Erik's room like I was supposed to do, and afterwards, I journeyed to the basement to finish the wash I had started the other day. After folding Erik's trousers, I carried them up the stairs and put them in his wardrobe. That's when I heard the front door opening.

"Erik?"

I came to the top of the stairs and spotted Nadir helping Erik up the stairs. I didn't say a word, no, I minded my own business and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes that were in the sink.

"Christine?"

When I heard Nadir's voice, I spun around to find him standing in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"The doctor instructed to feed him ice cream for dinner. I know he's going to protest, but don't let him argue. He is to have nothing but until tomorrow morning."

When Nadir left, I got together Erik's ice cream and headed up the stairs. His door was closed and I wasn't sure whether to just walk in on him or knock… That's why I decided upon knocking first. When I didn't get a reply, I walked into the dark realm and approached his bed. My angel was lying there with his shirt unbuttoned and had his eyes closed. When I placed the bowl of ice cream down on the night table, he opened his eyes just enough to see me.

"Hey," I whispered. "I brought you a bowl of ice cream."

His eyes looked towards the bowl, and then, shut again.

"I know it's not your favorite, but Nadir said the doctor recommended it."

"I'll eat it later."

"But it's so warm in here," I said. "It will melt, and when it melts, you're not going to want to eat it."

My angel took the bowl into his shaky hands and began to eat the melting ice cream. I straightened up his room while he was doing so, feeling as though I couldn't help but ask him about his time at the doctors.

"You seem exhausted," I began. "I take it that the doctor helped you with your headache?"

"You make it sound so easy," he groaned. "Going to the doctors is anything but easy."

"How so?"

"I don't go much, but when I do, the doctor always reminds me how crippled I am. Nadir insists that I keep up on my checkups, but I can't bear to go to that dreaded place."

"What did he do today?"

"He told me that my legs were not any stronger, my shaking hasn't let up in my hands and my headaches only worsen when I work too hard. Afterwards, he gave me a pill and told me to sleep it off."

When my angel placed his empty bowl aside, I approached his bed once again, only to realize that he was sweating, his open shirt soaked from the perspiration.

"Erik, I'm going to open the window and let out some of this humidity."

The window didn't give much relief from the heat, but the warm breeze that blew in did make it a little better.

"Y…Your son," he murmured. "How…How did he like Phantasma?"

"He loved it," I said as I swept the floor. "He was upset that he didn't get to see more of your magic tricks."

"So, he likes magic, does he?"

I nodded. "More than anything."

"There is a magic show in Phantasma tomorrow," Erik began. "Y…You should take him."

"I would love to, but I have work."

"You did a good job cleaning today… I'll give you tomorrow off if you agree to take your son to the magic show."

A few moments later, he handed me a ticket.

"There you are…"

"Thank you… My son will be so happy."

"Here in Phantasma, that's the point. Happiness is the point, Christine. If we made someone happy, then my job is done."

"But you're not happy."

"My happiness was lost long ago…"

My son was so excited when I came home that evening and told him about the magic show we were to see in the morning. It was even harder to get him to go to sleep that night, but when I finally got him to sleep, I smiled. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep without a cup of tea, I headed down stairs and entered the kitchen.

"Another ticket, Christine…This is the second time he's given you tickets, and yet you haven't gotten Meg or myself one. What does he see in you?"

I spun around to find Madame Giry standing there in her robe.

"It's nothing," I assured. "He's just being kind to my child and me. He's kind, Madame."

"Kind? Since when is he kind? He's the man who kidnapped you from the stage and took you to his lair! He would have killed you, Christine!"

"No he wouldn't have killed me," I cried. "He's a good man, Madame. I don't care what he was in the past, for he's here now and he's a changed man."

"Changed?" Madame Giry grabbed my robe and pulled me close to her in a violent way. "Snap out of it, Christine! He is not a changed man! He just doesn't remember you! If he did, he would kidnap you from the world and hold you hostage."

"I don't think he would, Madame. Erik is a changed man, this I know."

"I want to see him, Christine. You owe me this much, especially after everything I have done for you. You will get me in to see him."

"Madame, I can't just bring you to his house. And why do you want to see him? He won't remember you. He doesn't remember anything."

"It would be interesting, Christine. You will get me in to see him, otherwise you can take your son and leave."

"Madame…He…He doesn't see anyone. He keeps to himself, I don't even think his employees see him."

"Then tell me where he goes. Tell me where I could spot him."

"I…I might see him tomorrow, but I'm not sure. He doesn't really show himself to the world."

"And there is a reason for that."

"I'm sure that reason is harmless."

"I highly doubt it."

When Madame Giry was gone, all I could think about was why she wanted to see Erik so badly? Why couldn't she just let the past just die? I didn't let it bother me too much, for I knew the next day was going to be a fun one. Like I had promised, I took my son to the magic show in Phantamsa. His eyes lit up in excitement every time the magician did a trick, and by the end of the show, my son was sad to see it end. While we were leaving, he bragged about each trick and tried telling me how the magician did each one. Even though Erik didn't know he had a son, he was a great father.

"…And when he pulled the wabbit from the hat, I thought it was the coolest twick!"

Gustave and I were sitting at a table that faced the ocean while we enjoyed a snow cone. It was the only relief from the hot sun, and we had to eat it quickly before it melted. I was eating it as clean as I possibly could, but Gustave on the other hand…he had his entire face stained in blue dye. I was just walking to the trashcan to throw away my cup, when I saw Erik walking by. He seemed extremely hot, for he was wiping the back of his sweaty neck with his handkerchief. Most people were dressed in bathing suits or shorts, but this man insisted on wearing a black suit with a cloak covering every inch of his body. I knew he was ashamed of himself…ashamed to show any part of his scarred flesh.

"Mr. Mulheim!"

Gustave saw Erik and immediately went running to him.

"Ah, did you enjoy the magic show?" he asked.

Gustave nodded. "It was the best show I ever saw. Thanks, Mister Mulheim."

"The pleasure was all mine, boy." Erik's icy blue eyes moved to face me. "And Christine… How are you?"

"Hot…"

"Yes," Erik looked towards the sun as if he were cursing it. "Well, the heat isn't one of the city's greater qualities, but I always pray for clouds."

"You're out of luck," I giggled. "There aren't any clouds today."

"Mister Mulheim, aren't you hot?" Gustave asked. "You're dressed like it's winter time."

Erik didn't say anything, and I knew why. I knew he was embarrassed by his body.

"I…I was just making my rounds around Phantasma and was headed home for some lunch. Would you care to join me? There's this new drink. They call it "Ice Tea." You make the tea like you usually do, but instead of drinking it hot, you add ice to it."

"Sounds lovely," I said, smiling at him.

"Well, we can try it together. As for your son, I have a sprinkler in the backyard that he's more than welcome to play with. The heat really is too much in the afternoon."

When I agreed, we began to walk towards the exit of Phantasma. I don't know what we would have done if Erik hadn't shown up. I knew after eating his snow cone, Gustave probably would have begged me to ride some rides or play a game with him in the arcade. It was too hot to do anything more than sit, and that's why I was glad Erik showed up. My son could play with the sprinkler and Erik and I could talk over a cup of ice tea. There was so much I wanted to say to him, so much I wanted to tell him, but I knew I would have to take things slow, for the wrong words could easily cause him pain.

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**An early update for all your lovely reviews! Thanks again everyone! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Christine's POV**

We weren't even a few blocks away from Coney Island, when I saw Madame Giry hurrying up to us. I wasn't even sure where she had come from, but the moment she got up into Erik's face, I knew this wasn't going to end well.

"So, how does it feel, Erik? How does it feel to be a criminal? Do you truly believe that hiding in Coney Island is going to make what you did all right?"

Erik looked at her as though she were crazy and backed away.

"Excuse me?" he growled. "I don't know who you are or what you want, but you need to leave me be."

"You don't know me?" she snapped. "You don't know me? You, have many names, but the Phantom of the Opera is your most popular one."

"Stop it!" he cried. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't? You don't hear them chanting? You don't hear the mob and the employees of the opera house chanting "He's here, the Phantom of the Opera!"

Erik covered his ears and shook his head back and forth.

"Stop it! Stop it! Go away…"

Gustave was frightened now, for he ran to me and clung to my skirt. I needed to stop this and I was going to do just that.

"Madame, enough…" I pulled her away from Erik. "You don't have to harass him. He didn't do anything to you."

"He hasn't? He didn't terrorize the opera house or me? What about you? What he did to you was horrible, Christine. What he did to all of us was horrible."

"Madame, look at him…"

We both turned to spot Erik on his knees shaking and holding his hands over both ears like a frightened child.

"The Phantom is no more, Madame. Now leave us be…You're scaring him."

Madame Giry laughed. "Frightened him? I frightened him? You forget so easily about the past, Christine. When he wakes up, you'd better watch out. He's not a bird with a broken wing… He's a sleeping dragon, and when he wakes, all hell is going to break loose."

"Then stop trying to wake him. He's done nothing to you."

Madame Giry began walking the other way, but not before threatening me again.

"Mark my words, Christine… When he wakes, you will not know him."

I waited until Madame Giry was completely gone before approaching Erik who was still on his knees. When I placed my hand on his back, he shuddered but didn't respond.

"She's gone now, Erik… It's all right."

But he didn't listen to me. He got to his feet, his body shaking nervously. When I tried to touch him, he cried out for me to leave him alone. I knew Madame Giry had frightened him, and I knew this day was over when I saw him walking towards his home without Gustave and I.

"Mama, what's wrong with him?"

"Come along, Gustave," I said. "I'll tell you later."

When we arrived home, I ordered Gustave to go upstairs while I confronted Madame Giry for what she had done. Oh, I would kill her for treating him like she had. It was so evil of her to approach him on the street and shout things at him, things that he didn't remember. I found Madame Giry in the family room. She was just waiting for me, and oh, I was going to let her have it.

"How could you?" I cried. "Do you know what you did to him? Do you know how he felt when you left?"

"Good, I hope I make him insane. I hope I make him so mad that he forgets everything that he is! He's rich, why is he a wealthy business man? After everything he's been through, he should be dead or begging on the streets."

"You're jealous," I gasped. "Jealous at how popular he's become…How wealthy he is. That's evil."

"He doesn't deserve to thrive in wealth! He should be in the gutter…"

I wasn't sure what I was thinking, but next thing I knew, my hand was flying across her face… For the first time in my life, I had struck Madame Giry. When Meg heard the commotion, she came down the stairs and stood there watching the both of us. Madame Giry grabbed my hand and pulled me to her.

"If you ever touch me again, I won't think twice about kicking you and your child out of here! I don't have to keep him a secret…One little letter to Raoul is all it will take, and while I'm at it, I'll tell him where the missing Phantom went as well. I'm sure the mob would love to know where he's hiding out. If you know what's best for you, you will tread softly…"

My son had heard the entire thing, for that evening as I put him to bed, he was filled with questions. My child didn't deserve this… He deserved love and happiness, a home where he would be safe to roam around. Living under this roof wasn't what I wanted for my son.

"Why does Nana Giry say mean things about Mister Mulheim?" he asked. "He's so nice."

"She doesn't know him that well," I said. "Sometimes people say things that they don't mean. Sometimes, people spread rumors. Don't listen to her, sweetie…"

After kissing him on the head, I headed to the door. Though, a few moments later, I heard my son's voice.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Gustave?"

"Do you think Mister Mulheim is going to be all right?"

I smiled. "I'm sure he will be just fine. I'm going to work tomorrow, so I'll see him then."

"Can you tell him that I'm sorry about what happened to him today?"

"I will…"

I couldn't stop thinking about my angel of music. All throughout the night I attempted to sleep, but found it nearly impossible to do, for all I could think about was how horrible the afternoon had been. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep without knowing how he was, I stood and threw on my cloak. It wasn't like me to leave in the middle of the night, but I needed some air. The night was quiet and warm, making it the perfect night to take a stroll. I wasn't sure why I headed out of my neighborhood and into Erik's, but I needed to find out if he were ok. His home was in darkness, save for the bedroom window on the second floor. It was late, but he was still awake. Usually, I would have knocked, but I didn't know if he would answer, that being the reason why I pulled out my key and let myself in. I locked the door behind me and headed up the stairs. There was music coming from his room, soft, yet beautiful music that would stop and start every few seconds. When I was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, I saw him sitting at his piano with a few candles burning to give him light. His hands shook as he tried to play a few scales of the sheet music that was placed on the ledge of the piano.

Knowing that scaring him wouldn't do any good, I lightly knocked. This startled him, for he gasped and turned his head. When he saw me standing there, he seemed confused.

"Christine," he gasped. "Is it morning? It's so dark…"

"No, it's a little past midnight. I…I couldn't sleep."

"So you walked all the way to my home and let yourself in?"

"I wanted to make sure that you were all right. Madame Giry isn't the kindest person in the world, that being the reason why I needed to apologize to you."

"You live with that evil monster?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I had no other choice."

"I'm all right, thank you. I don't sleep much either, so it's all right."

"You were playing music?"

"Sometimes I attempt to."

"Could you play something for me?"

"I wish I could, but my hands shake so badly that I can't bear to play anything completely through."

"Well, try…"

When Erik turned back to his piano and began to play a familiar tune, I joined in. I knew what he was trying to play, and I knew the tune all too well.

_"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye…"_

The moment he heard me sing those lyrics, he stopped playing and looked at me.

"H…How do you know? How do you know the lyrics?"

I wanted to tell him everything, I wanted to tell him so badly, but I didn't want him to get angry or have another outburst.

"I…I sang this song before, back in Paris."

"How? I...I wrote Hannibal. No one but me knows the lyrics."

"I know this may seem strange, but…"

Erik held up his hand in protest before covering his ears like he had done this afternoon. I knew I was upsetting him, and I knew I needed to stop.

"Please, don't… Don't do this to me."

"I'm sorry."

"I don't remember anything," he confessed. "Nadir insists that there was a terrible accident, one that caused me to lose most of my memory. When people say things to me that I don't understand, I get upset. I hate when people know things that I don't. It frightens me."

"What do you know? What do you remember about the past?"

"I…I was living in Paris. I enjoyed writing music, music that would never be heard by the world. I think I lived in the opera house because I can sometimes remember the chill. After that, my mind is blank."

"Would it frighten you if I knew? Would it frighten you if I told you where you lived?"

"Please don't…It would hurt too much. I don't want to feel as though I'm lost. I don't want to feel as though I'm living in a stranger's body. I know who I am… I know that I'm the owner of Phantasma, I know that I was abused as a child and I know that I'm hideous."

There was a moment of silence, and then, Erik stood and reached for his cloak.

"The humidity is thick in here," he began. "I need to get some air. Would you care to join me?"

When I nodded, I followed Erik down the stairs and out the front door. I wasn't sure where we were headed, but when we approached the locked gates of Phantasma, I saw him pull out a key.

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk around Phantasma alone?"

"I never thought about what it would feel like to be the only ones in an amusement park."

"Well, believe it or not, it gets a lot off your mind."

Erik let me through the gates and after he was through, he locked the gates from the inside.

"There is a spot I like to sit at. You can see the moonlight glisten off the ocean. It's beautiful and the breeze feels wonderful."

The park was dark and yes, it was a little scary, that being the reason why I stayed close to my angel. Once we were seated on the bench that faced the ocean, he looked at me.

"Your voice," he began. "When you sang in my bedroom a few minutes ago…"

"Yes?"

"You have an astonishing voice," he continued. "It's as though someone has trained you."

Oh, how I wanted to confess that it was him. It was you, Erik, you! You trained me for years! You made me the diva that I was! You and only you.

"I have a gift."

"That you do," he said. "I find it interesting… I think I may have a special job for you, if you're interested?"

I smiled. "I would like that."

"I would still need you to make me dinner, of course."

"Of course, Erik."

For a while longer we sat there on that bench looking out at the ocean and talking to one another. And when our conversation ended, we both felt better about the day and our problems.

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**Aww they're getting closer together! Have a great and safe weekend everyone. I plan on sunbathing by the pool and thinking up more ideas for this wonderful story! Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Christine's POV**

Erik and I were out until two o clock. When I saw him yawn, I knew it was time to get home.

"I should go home," I said. "I need to get a few hours of sleep before I have to come back and work. I'm sure you have to sleep a little bit too."

"I guess I should try."

There was a moment of silence, and then, Erik spoke again.

"I'll walk you home."

"Thank you, Erik."

Our walk home was silent, and when we were at the front door to Madame Giry's apartment, I smiled.

"Thank you for walking me home."

"Christine, would you…that is…"

"What?"

"We need to eat breakfast right?"

"I guess so."

"Would you want to meet me for breakfast? Gustave could come too. There is a café on the other side of Phantasma that serves the freaks and oddities. They have a great breakfast and it's easier when you can eat without people looking at you."

"What time?"

"Eight," he said.

"I would love to, but Gustave needs to be watched by Madame Giry. I think she would get angry if I took him to breakfast and then dropped him off."

"Christine, you can bring Gustave with you to the house while you work. It's supposed to be hot, and I have a sprinkler outside. He can play in the yard."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Where do you want me to meet you?"

"At the gates of Phantasma. I'll let you in since the park doesn't open until ten."

I wanted to hug him so badly, but I couldn't. There were things I wanted to do to this man that I've wanted to do for the past three years, and yet, I couldn't even touch him. How badly I wanted to press my lips against his own and continue from where we had stopped. I wanted to spend hours wrapped up within his arms, pressing endless kisses to each of his scars.

"I'll see you in a few hours then, Christine."

With finally knowing that he was all right, I was able to slip into a dreamless slumber. I didn't feel like waking when I looked at the clock and noticed the time, but I had promised to have breakfast with Erik. After dressing, I found that my child was also dressed and moaning about being hungry.

"We're going to have breakfast with Mister Mulheim." I said. "He's taking us to his café."

My son was already excited about this, and without another protest, we headed out the door.

"I wike him, mama…" my son said. "He's nice."

"Yes, he is, Gustave. I'm glad I started working for him."

When we arrived at the gates of Phantasma, Erik was there waiting for us. My son ran to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. I froze in place, for I never expected to see something like this so quickly. Tears rushed to my eyes as I witnessed my son's first hug with his father, but quickly wiped them away. Erik seemed shocked, for he didn't know how to react.

"Mister Mulheim, will you show me a magic trick? Please please please…"

I scooped Gustave up into my arms and apologized to Erik who still seemed to be stunned over my son's hug.

"He's usually not like this," I began. "I'm sorry."

"No harm done, Christine."

Erik unlocked the gates to his world and we walked inside. Even though his park was closed to the public for another few hours, the café we were headed to was booming with business from his workers. It was strange, for there were people of all shapes and sizes, and when they spotted Gustave and I walking in beside Erik, their boss, they gave us strange looks. Erik ignored the looks and sat us down in a secluded booth that was away from everyone. Gustave, being the angel that he was took a seat beside Erik.

We weren't even sat for a minute, when a woman with purple hair approached our table. She pulled out a notepad of some sort and looked at Erik.

"What can I get for you this morning, Mister E?"

"My usual," Erik replied. "My morning tea, cream, no sugar and a bowl of oatmeal, hold the brown sugar."

"And for your son?"

"He's not my son," Erik said. "He's my friend. For the boy, a serving of waffles and ice cream."

He looked at me. "What do you like, Christine? Pancakes? Eggs?"

"Scrambled eggs," I said.

"And my friend will be having the Coney Island special. Scrambled eggs with lightly buttered toast on the side."

When the woman walked away, I couldn't help but wonder why my angel ordered oatmeal.

"I thought you would have gotten pancakes," I said. "Not plain oatmeal."

"I have to watch what I consume, Christine. Too much sugar makes my body hurt. I prefer to stick to plain foods. It helps with my pain."

"Mister Mulheim, the trick…show me a trick." My son exclaimed.

I wish I could have paid attention to the magic trick Erik was showing Gustave, but I couldn't, for watching them interact was something beautiful, something that I never wanted to end. The waitress thought they were father and son, and Erik told her he was just a friend. When I watched the both of them interact, I couldn't help but find that they both indeed looked alike.

"Christine, would you mind cleaning the bathroom today?"

I was pulled from my daydream when I heard Erik's soft voice.

"What was that?"

"The bathroom," he said. "I wasn't feeling well last night and nearly missed the toilet. Would it be too much trouble to ask you to scrub the floor by the toilet today?"

I shook my head. "No, of course not."

When Erik's tea arrived, he took a sip of it and groaned when he noticed Nadir approach the table.

"Ah, there you are. I went to your house this morning, but you weren't home."

"Well now you know that I'm here," he mocked. "I got hungry."

"As did Christine, I see…"

"Taking my maid and her son out to breakfast is not a crime," he growled. "What is it that you want?"

"You have a meeting this afternoon with the mayor. He's bringing his wife and two daughters along."

"I don't wish to meet the mayor or parade him around my park. Humans are a waste of space, you know that."

"Erik, you are the owner of a newly popular park. It would be rude not to show the mayor of New York around. It won't take long, and it will give Phantasma more publicity."

Erik squeezed his fists. "Fine, but it is going to be a quick tour."

"Good. Meet me by the gates of Phantasma at noon. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast."

When Nadir was gone, Erik took another sip of his tea.

"I'm sure the mayor isn't so terrible," I began. "I'm sure he will love Phantasma, as much as I do."

"I don't enjoy parading the wealthy around my park. I don't like showing myself to the crowds, for it makes me extremely uncomfortable."

"Well," I said. "What if you took Gustave with you? I'm sure he would enjoy walking around Phantasma."

Gustave's face lit up in excitement. "Oh, Mister Mulheim please please please! I want to go with you on your tour."

"I guess that would make me feel a little better about having to take the mayor around."

This would be the first time I would be leaving my child with Erik, but I trusted him, for he had done so well with Gustave so far, and the boy seemed to enjoy his company. When our breakfast arrived, it pained me to watch Erik struggle with swallowing his meal, most likely from having a noose forced around his neck by the mob. When breakfast was over, I wiped Gustave's chocolate covered mouth and handed him over to Erik.

"Be a good boy today, Gustave," I warned him. "You stay with Mister Mulheim no matter what and do what he tells you to do. I'll see you tonight."

"Don't worry," Erik assured me. "I'll take good care of him."

And after kissing my child on the forehead, I watched them walk off into Phantasma.

**Erik's POV**

I never watched over a child before and to be honest, I was a little afraid to have Gustave left in my care. But there was something strange about the boy, for he had the happy go lucky spirit that I had when I was his age. And from the spirit, I knew I would have no trouble keeping watch over him. The child grabbed my hand and frolicked as he and I headed towards my personal office in Phantasma. We still had two hours before the mayor and his family would show up, and in that time I planned on getting some work done. Once we were inside my office, I locked the door behind us and saw him go running towards the boxes of toys and stuffed animals I had stored away in the nearby closet for the game stands all around Phantasma. The boy pulled out a stuffed turtle and plopped himself down on the floor to play. I took a seat at my desk to keep an eye on the boy while he played. Though, the child had a short attention span, for a few moments after sitting down, I spotted him running over to the piano I had on the other side of my office.

"What's this?" I heard him ask.

"That would be a piano."

"A Be ano?"

"No, a piano."

"What do you do with it?" he curiously asked, pressing his finger down on a random key, causing a loud sound to occur.

"You make music with it," I said, standing up and approaching him. It was strange, for when the child sat there facing the keys, I couldn't help but see myself at his age. I took a seat beside him and placed my shaky hands over the keys.

"There was a time when I used to be able to play beautiful music, but my hands aren't what they used to be."

The child placed his small hand over my own. "Did someone hurt you?"

"Yes, very badly. My hands tremble uncontrollably now."

"Could you teach me how to pway?"

"Well, let's start off with something small, shall we?"

I sat the small child in my lap and started to play a few notes while he watched. Never had I ever taught anyone to play the piano before. He truly was a beautiful child, and his mother was even more beautiful, for she resembled an angel. It was strange, for when I was with her, it felt as though I had known her all my life, when in reality, I had only known her a few weeks.

"Will you teach me to pway like you?" Gustave asked.

"I will do my best. But enough about this for now, child. We have people we have to meet at the gates of Phantasma."

"After that can we go pway in the water like you told me I could?"

"Yes, I'm sure a surprise visit to your mother would cheer her up. I have a sprinkler in the back yard that you're more than welcome to play with. It is rather hot today, is it not?"

"Yes, very…"

I didn't want to show the mayor around Phantasma, but what choice did I have? I was an important businessman now and I needed to do things that I didn't feel comfortable doing whether I wanted to do them or not. When Gustave and I arrived at the gates of Phantasma, we were both met with the mayor, his high maitnenced wife and their two bratty girls. I knew showing them around Phantasma was going to be a joke, but with Gustave beside me, I felt as though I could conquer anything.

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**Awww Gustave's lisp is adorable! He's getting some fluffy love anyway... Please review! I take everyone's thoughts and ideas into consideration! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Erik's POV**

Showing the mayor of New York around Coney Island left a sickening feeling within the pit of my stomach. He was so handsome, and yet, I was a hideous beast. I could hear the mayor's daughters laughing and whispering behind my back as I paraded them around my park, showing them everything there was to show. It was as if I were the mayor's personal side show that he could gawk and laugh at. Even with Gustave walking beside me, I still couldn't shake the embarrassing feeling I felt.

"This child you have with you," I heard the mayor question. "Where is his mother?"

"The boy is a friend," I replied. "His mother works for me and he offered to help me out with the tour today."

"I was going to say," the mayor chuckled. "Surely he couldn't have been your son. He's too flawless. I've been walking around your park for the past hour and every freak that has a child beside them resembles their parent in some way or another. It disgusts me…"

I raised a curious brow. "Disgusts you? How could seeing loving families disgust you?"

"Freaks aren't humans, Mister E… You see, freaks carry disabilities, and traits that horrify the world. They shouldn't be able to reproduce."

Gustave looked up at me with a concerned face. I knew he was too young to understand what it meant.

"You, sir, have no right to come into my world and say such cruel things. I built this world to house the freaks of Coney Island, to give them a nice place to work and live away from the world and its cruelties. Their children will be the next employees of this park and so on and so forth. If you don't like what you see, then don't come. But the way I see it, is that Phantasma is giving not only revenue to the city, but entertainment to your people."

The tour was officially over now, but not before the mayor insulted me one last time.

"The world is changing, Mister E…" he mocked. "Women are pushing for their freedom to vote, Blacks are wanting to live in the white neighborhoods, and you're the first freak to become a businessman."

"I may be the first, but I'm not the last."

"Don't give your people hope… Women will never be able to vote, blacks will never be able to live with the whites and you will never supervise anything but this hole in the wall you call a world. One call is all it takes to close this place down. If your freaks cause any harm to anyone in this park, I will see to it that Phantasma burns to the ground."

When Gustave and I were left alone, the child tugged on my cloak and I looked down at him.

"He's not a very nice man, Mister Mulheim."

"Not everyone in the world is nice, Gustave."

"I don't care what anyone says, I love Phantasma."

For the remainder of the day, I had a smile on my face, and all because of this wonderful little boy. I was going to take him to my home in order to return him to his mother, but I got called away by Nadir. He came running up to me a while after the meeting was over, explaining that one of the rides had malfunctioned and wouldn't run.

"I'll take a look at it," I told him. "In the meantime, take the boy back to his mother. She'll be looking for him."

I gave Gustave's tiny hand to Nadir, and the child seemed a little frightened, but I knelt down and brushed my hand through his locks of dark hair.

"Would it be safe to say that you're my new assistant?"

The boy's eyes lit up in excitement. "Really?"

"Of course. From this day forward you're going to accompany me on all my outings. For now, however, you need to return to your mother before she gets worried sick about you."

I knew he would be safe in Nadir's hands, and when they were gone, I went to work. For hours after Phantasma closed, I worked on repairing the Ferris Wheel, my legs aching as the hours became long. When I finally got it to work, I ventured home, finding my house deserted. My legs ached and I would have put off sleeping, but I knew I needed to do so. Therefore, I removed my leg brace and sat it aside. Oh, to have my leg freed from that torture chamber was a relief. The only time I could actually remove it was when I was in bed, for the brace kept my leg in place.

When I dared to close my eyes, the horrors of my past came back to haunt me. I saw the Shah of Persia, his whip, and felt the excruciating agony of me being struck with it.

"That's one!" he cried. "Count with me! Count, demon, count!"

Lash after lash, my back screamed in agony, and so did I. When I jolted awake, my body was covered in sweat and the familiar pain from the lashings wracked my emaciated back. This was why I couldn't sleep. This was why I never got a moment's peace at night… I was so frightened over my dream that I stood up without remembering my brace and began walking towards the bathroom. Though, I was right at the top of the stairs when I heard a crack before plummeting down the staircase. My fall hurt, but not as much as my leg, for I had forgotten to fasten it within the brace and now it was mangled in the stairwell.

**Christine's POV**

Erik's tour with the mayor had not gone well at all, for Gustave told me everything that had happened. I found it strange when I noticed Nadir walking up the driveway with my son's hand in his own, but when he told me that Erik needed to tend to some work, I sighed in relief. That didn't stop my son from telling me everything that had happened today with the mayor. I never thought someone in America could be so cruel to him, but I knew the world was filled with horrible people. The following morning was a dreadful one, for the weather was dreary and the storms frightened Gustave. I was just dressing for work, when he came running into my room.

"Mama, I'm scared. Don't leave me here when it's storming."

"Sweetheart, I have work."

I tucked him into my bed and brushed my hand through his locks, locks that belonged to Erik.

"Mama, can I come to work with you today?"

"Not today, sweetheart. I don't think Mister Mulheim would appreciate you wandering around his home when he's not there. If you broke something I'm sure he would be upset with not only you, but me as well. Perhaps another day."

"If you see him, tell him that I said hi…"

I smiled and pressed my lips against his cheek. "I will. Get some rest, Gustave, and be good for Nana Giry."

I was halfway down the stairs, when I noticed Meg heading out the door with the only umbrella. I hurried to her side and stayed underneath to keep dry.

"I'm going past the Phantom's home, Christine," Meg said. "I'll walk you there so you can stay dry."

"Thank you, Meg."

"Do you like working for him?"

"Yes, he's been very kind to Gustave and me. I…I just wish he would remember me. I tried telling him what he didn't know, but he gets upset. He doesn't want to believe something, only to find out that it was a lie. I…I guess he wishes to find out on his own."

"There are ways to jog his memory, Christine. Think of something. I just don't want to see something terrible happen if he does remember you. Perhaps it's better this way."

We arrived at his front door and I unlocked it, thanking Meg for walking me here.

"I'll see you tonight, Meg," I said. "Thank you."

"Stay dry…"

After closing the door behind me, I hung up my cloak and headed into the kitchen. I was just checking to see what Erik's request was for dinner, when I noticed something moving in the reflection of one of the pots that were hanging above the sink. It looked like a large animal, but I wasn't sure. I gasped and quickly spun around to face the stairs, and spotted Erik lying there. I didn't hesitate a single moment and went running to him, noticing the large pool of blood that his head was lying in.

"Erik," I softly called his name as I inspected his body. Oh, he was mangled in the stairwell, making it obvious that he had fallen down the stairs.

I pulled off his soaked wig and checked his head, the familiar exposed skull gushing blood from his fall. When he didn't move a muscle, I hurried to the linen closet for a towel, bringing it back to press against his head.

"I'm going to get you some help," I said, attempting not to cry. "I'll be right back…"

The only reason I knew he was still alive was because of his raspy breathing. I wasn't sure how long he had been caught in the stairwell, but I didn't care, for he needed help and quickly. I ran to Phantasma and found Nadir, who then hailed the doctors from the infirmary. I wasn't sure if Erik was going to be alive by the time we returned to his home, but when Nadir approached his body, he seemed to know what had happened to him.

"He's not wearing his brace." He called out. "His left leg is dislocated at the knee."

He waved the doctors to bring their cloth gurney to Erik's side, and from there, they untangled his broken body from the stairs and took him away. Not before Nadir ran up to his room and came back carrying the brace that Erik should have been wearing around his leg.

"Nadir, what's going to happen to him?" I cried.

"Christine, if you're that concerned about him, clean up the blood at the bottom of the stairs and come to the Phantasma infirmary. It's a hospital for the employees of Coney Island. Erik had it built just so the freaks didn't have to feel embarrassed about getting medical treatment. I'll meet you there."

I never worked so quickly at cleaning up a mess in all my life. If he died, I would never be able to go on living. How was I supposed to tell my son that he had a father and he died from falling down the stairs? When the blood was mopped up, I grabbed my cloak and headed out the door into the rainy afternoon. I didn't care that I was soaked by the time I arrived at the hospital, for all I cared about was seeing Erik.

"Christine," Nadir met me in the waiting room of the infirmary, the sight of freaks of all shapes and sizes disturbing me. How kind of Erik to build a hospital just for the freaks of Coney Island.

"Nadir, how is he?"

"He has a mild concussion, a few bruised ribs from his fall and his leg is a mangled mess. The doctors can't place it in a cast, for his bones never healed from when the mob beat him. Therefore, they're going to place him on heavy bed rest without the brace in an attempt to let his leg heal back to what it was last night. It will be painful, but when he's healed, the brace will have to be tightened to keep everything in place."

"Could I see him?"

"He's not awake right now. They placed him under heavy sedation to help with the pain he's going to be in. You should go home and come back tomorrow."

I nodded and wiped away my tears. I was just making my way to the door, when I heard him call out for me one last time.

"And Christine, I may need a favor from you…I'll tell you more about it tomorrow after I have a word with Erik."

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**An Early update for all you faithful reviewers out there! Poor Erik... And what can Nadir possibly have up his sleeve? Stay tuned!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Erik's POV**

I wasn't sure what had happened, for it felt as though I had just fallen asleep. Though, when I dared to crack open my eyes, the first thing I noticed was the unbearable agony I was in. It didn't seem real, for how could I be in so much pain and still be living? The second thing I noticed was that I was not in my bedroom. No, I was in a white room that had a window that faced my park. The last thing I realized was Nadir seated at my bedside. When I tried to move my leg, I realized that I couldn't, for it was strapped down to the bed.

"Don't move your leg, Erik," came Nadir's voice. "It's bad enough you don't have your brace on. You need to keep that leg as still as possible. The doctors are hoping that it's going to heal."

I pressed my head into my pillow to wear off some of the pain, but it was nearly impossible, for it felt as though someone was tearing my limb from me.

"You fell down the stairs," Nadir said. "Most likely from not wearing your brace. Did you forget?"

Everything came rushing back to me… My nightmare, my pain, my need to get to the bathroom, and then the horrible fall that followed because I hadn't thought to put on my brace.

"The doctor said you were probably on that floor for close to eight hours. You could have died if Christine hadn't found you. Erik, you knew this day was coming…"

"What day? What are you talking about?"

"Erik, you knew one day you were going to have to have someone live with you. You can't keep living alone in a large house. You could have died, and this isn't the first incident where you fell and couldn't get up. This was the worst fall you've had and I'm not about to risk you having another one. You need to have someone live with you, and I know just the person."

"Persian, no…"

"Yes… Christine will become your live in maid. You have plenty of room for her to live with you and it will keep you safe."  
"I refuse," I growled. "I won't let you ask Christine to live with me. She's not living with me and that is final. Oh, Nadir…How could you even expect me to ask her that."

"You won't have to ask her, I will. Plus, she owes me a favor and I think I will use it on this."

"Nadir, I'm warning you."

"No, Erik, I'm warning you. You have a park to run and cannot risk your life. If something happens to you, Phantasma will close and where would that leave the freaks of Coney Island? If you care so much about them, you will care enough about your life. You need to have somebody else living with you. It will help not only me sleep at night, but you as well."

Nadir was right. If I died, my park would have no choice but to close for good and I couldn't have that. But if Nadir asked Christine to live with me it would make it seem as though I didn't want her living with me. Actually, I didn't want anyone living with me, for it deprived me of my privacy, but if I had to choose anyone to move in with me, I'd rather it be her and not some stranger.

"I'll ask her, Persian."

Just then, a knock occurred at the door.

"Well, now's your chance."

It was then, that Christine entered the room. I could only thank God that I still had my mask in place. Yes, my exposed skull was showing, but at least that was wrapped in a large bandage.

"I'll leave you two alone then…" Nadir said, making his way to the door.

Christine slowly took a seat at the end of my bed and tried to smile. This girl had saved my life for without her, I would have died.

"You scared me yesterday," she began. "I felt so terrible for what had happened to you. You didn't deserve that."

"No, but it happened. The doctors say that I could have died… That it could have been prevented if I had someone living with me. They won't let me leave here without someone agreeing to stay with me in order to keep an eye on me. I would never ask a stranger to stay under the same roof as me, which is why I was going to ask you."

"Me?" she questioned. "I…I couldn't possibly."

"I'll pay you double. You could choose any room in the house to stay in and Gustave could come with you. Please, Christine, I need you. I need someone to stay with me, to remind me about what I should and shouldn't be doing. When I'm alone, I tend to forget about my brace and everything else. I wouldn't invade your privacy, I promise you. You will have the entire side of the house to yourself. You could come and go as you please."

Christine thought long and hard about her next answer and to be honest, I was afraid about what she would say. But when she agreed, I sighed in relief, for I would have rather had her agree to stay with me, than anyone else.

"I won't be getting out of here until tomorrow or the next day. You can move in today if you wish…give yourself time to make yourself at home."

"This is a kindness, Erik…"

"It is anything but. If anything, it is a kindness to me. I don't want to have another fall like the one I endured the other night. Plus, with me being bedridden for the next few weeks, I will need help with certain tasks."

"I will do my best to help you, Erik."

The pain in my leg was too much to bear, so much so that I pressed my face against my pillow and attempted to sleep it off.

**Christine's POV**

This is what I had wanted… I had wanted to reconnect with my angel of music and eventually gain his trust enough for me to become closer to him. He must have trusted me, for he had just asked me to move in with him. This was all I had ever wanted or dreamed of… I was going to be living under the same roof as he was! Not only would it bring us closer together, but it would give he and I this unbreakable bond. By the time he was able to get up and walk around again, he and I would be inseparable. That day after coming home from the hospital, I immediately began packing. When Madame Giry saw me doing so, she tried to intervene, but I wasn't listening to her.

"You are crazy!" she cried. "I forbid you to move under the same roof as that fiend! He will kill you, Christine! He will somehow remember you one night and he will kill you. Who knows, perhaps he will even rape you! He is a lonely man, if you've forgotten! He will come to your bed and take you!"

"I'm not afraid of him, Madame Giry. I've known him far too long to be afraid. We've been through so much together and I believe this is something we both need."

"What you need to do is find yourself a real man, Christine. You shouldn't be pining for this monster!"

"I'm not," I lied. "I just believe that we could form a friendship like we once had. He needs me and I need him."

It was then that Madame Giry slapped me in the face, as if she were slapping some sense into me.

"You, Christine do not need him. How quickly you forget about how he almost killed you that night not so long ago. You believe him to be this bird with a broken wing, when in reality, he is a sleeping dragon. He's not something you can just take in and care for without consequence. You don't know what he does at night…He could sleep walk or do something much worse. You used to tell me that he had these horrible nightmares where he would scream out in his sleep. Do you think that is something your son needs to witness? And what about his face? Your son should not have to endure such horrors."

"Madame, I am a woman and I know what's best for me and my son. I am moving into Erik's home and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

"Just remember that this door swings one way, Christine," She threatened. "When your monster rapes and threatens you again, don't come crying to me, because I won't hear any of it."

After packing my final dress, I closed my suitcase and scooped my son up into my arms. I had once loved this woman, but now that I had Erik he was all I needed.

"Mama, why are we staying with Mister Mulheim?"

"Because he needs our help, pumpkin. He fell down the stairs the other night and he can't live by himself anymore. He needs help and we're going to help him."

When we arrived at Erik's home, I unlocked the door and set my son down. He slowly wandered around the house, inspecting every little thing. When he approached a door that was near the family room, he opened it and walked it.

"I want this to be my room, mama…"

**Erik's POV**

I had only wanted to spend one night in that hospital, but wound up being forced into spending six. For six miserable nights I lay in that uncomfortable bed, my leg throbbing in a dull and unbearable ache. I could feel my bones moving as if they were trying to mend, but it was nearly impossible to sleep. On the morning I was released, I had to be carried on the same gurney that had brought me to the hospital. Nadir made sure that I was comfortable in my bed before leaving me alone with Christine. She seemed shy at first, for she slowly walked in and stood at the side of my bed as if she didn't know what to do.

"If you're uncomfortable, I could place your leg on a pillow."

I nodded and watched as she gently picked up my injured leg, the pain wracking my body to the fullest extent. I cringed, causing her to gasp and quickly complete the task. Oh, it hurt even worse once my leg was settled on the pillow she had placed it on.

"Medicine…" I groaned. "In the cabinet downstairs, there should be a green bottle. Give me three of the pills that are in it."

"Do you think that's wise? Nadir didn't leave any medicine behind."

"Because he is a fool. Just do it…"

Christine didn't waste a second in fetching me what I had asked for. I couldn't swallow the pills fast enough, for all I wanted was a little relief.

"What were they?" Christine asked.

"Morphine. I keep it in the house for situations like this. My head is in constant agony and the morphine helps."

"But three? Don't you think that's overdoing it?"

"No. I only take what I need, and I am in unbearable pain."

"I still think there is a better way."

"Your job is to keep an eye on me," I reminded her. "Not to nag. I do hope you've found your new home accommodating?"

She nodded. "It's been very comfortable, thank you for asking, Erik."

The medicine was kicking in now, for the next thing I knew, I felt myself growing extremely tired. I didn't try to fight it, and seconds later, my eyes grew heavy and I allowed myself to slip away into a deep and comfortable slumber. Though, as I did so I thought about Christine, for she had been the first friend I had ever made…Christine, Christine Daae.

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**Please review everyone! Early update! Enjoy...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Christine's POV**

Our first few nights under Erik's roof was strange and scary, for I always hated sleeping in strange places. My room was right beneath Erik's and close enough to the kitchen. After tucking my son in for the night, I checked on Erik to find him fast asleep. The way he was lying looked so uncomfortable, for his face was stricken with pain. I wanted to walk in and remove his mask, but I knew that it would only anger him. Therefore, I let him be and returned to my own bed. I couldn't sleep, and as hard as I tried to do so, I found it nearly impossible. When I could no longer lie there, I stood and made my way to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. I was just pouring the hot water into my cup, when I heard a bit of rustling coming from the upstairs bedroom. It sounded like furniture moving across the floor, which was something I found to be quite strange. I was frightened at first as I walked up the winding staircase of Erik's home to reach his bedroom door. I should have knocked, but I didn't, for I was worried about him. As soon as the door opened, what I saw broke my heart… Erik was lying in his bed, his arm stretching and struggling to move a small desk to his bed with his staff pulling on the leg of the furniture. He looked exhausted, but he was determined to get what he wanted, for he was cursing under his breath.

"Monsieur…"

The moment I said his name, he stopped and looked up at me, his body plopping exhaustedly back against his pillows. He must have been working at pulling the desk over for a long time, for he was breathing heavily. Fearing that he was overheated, I hurried to the bathroom that was across from his room and wet a rag with cold water. After wringing it out, I hurried back to his room and placed the rag against his sweaty forehead.

"Erik, what are you trying to do?" I asked, pushing the desk back to where it belonged. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I can't sleep," he groaned. "When I can't sleep, I work. My work was sitting on my desk, and since I can't walk, I decided to pull the desk to me."

I hurried to his desk and picked up a heavy book for him to lean on and his stack of paper work that was scattered all over.

"Here," I said, placing the work down into his lap. "If you need something, you should just ask."

"You are a peculiar girl," he said. "No one but me is ever up at this time of night."

"I'm usually asleep, but I've been having a hard time staying asleep. Not that your home isn't comfortable, because it is. I just have a hard time getting used to new places."

"Well, if there is anything I can do to make your stay more comfortable, let me know."

I smiled. "I will…"

There was a long pause of silence, and then, when I noticed him looking over his papers, I made my point to leave. I didn't sleep much that evening, but when I returned to Erik the next morning to ask about breakfast, I found him fast asleep with the paperwork scattered around his body.

"Erik?"

When the man didn't answer me, I cleaned up his work and covered him with his blanket. He was dead asleep, and when I saw his mouth, I found that I couldn't stop lusting for it… From the moment I laid eyes on his bloated lips, I wanted to place my own against them.

"Erik? Erik, are you awake?"

I waited for him to answer me, and when he didn't, I leaned down and brushed my finger over his top lip. And then, I leaned in and pressed my lips gently against his own. Oh, to feel those lips against my own after so many years was like a spark to my heart, one that I had desperately needed. I didn't want to break away, but quickly did when I felt him stir and take a deep breath. I quickly headed back outside the door and waited a few moments before knocking. Afterwards, I entered to find him forcing himself to sit up.

"Christine, hand…hand me my brace," he groaned, pointing to the metal brace that was leaning against the wall. "I need to stand."

I hoped he wouldn't remember anything from the kiss I had just given him, and when I handed him the contraption, he began working his leg into it. It pained me to see him struggling to lock his leg into it and I wanted to help him.

"Here, let me help you," I said, approaching him and reaching for his bare leg. This was the first time I had seen his leg since the night we conceived our child. It was mangled and covered in scars. After placing his leg into the contraption, he gasped for breath and held in the pain of locking it in.

"Oh, mon dieu…" he gasped, pressing his eyes closed.

"Here, I'll help you…"

"Nadir brought this over yesterday… He…He had the doctor alter it so that it's tighter around my knee."

I didn't answer him and continued to lock his leg into it. When he was fully locked in, I held out my hand to help him up, but he waved his hand at me.

"I've been taking care of myself for as long as I can remember and I'm not about to start depending on someone. I'll get myself up, thank you."

I turned to give Erik some privacy to put on his trousers, only turning when I heard him taking his first few steps. When I saw him stumbling while leaning against his staff, I wanted to run to him, but didn't, fearing that I would offend him. I slowly followed behind him, until he was in the bathroom. Only then did I see him close the door behind him.

**Erik's POV**

I wanted to take the brace I was wearing and tear it from my leg. Oh, it was tighter than ever and I couldn't even stand to be wearing it. The first thing I did upon entering the bathroom was splash some water over my face. How could anyone wear something so tight around their leg? I was in brutal agony and if I couldn't walk around without cutting off my circulation, than I didn't want to wear anything at all. Only in this very room could I remove my mask and splash water upon my damaged flesh. Oh, only here…When I was finished, I placed my mask back over my face and headed towards the stairs, taking my time going down each one. Walking down the stairs wasn't something I was a fan of, for going down the stairs was exactly what caused my last fall. I found my way into the kitchen and plopped down in my usual spot at the end of the table.

"Christine, my medicine," I growled. "Now…"

For as long as I could remember, I had a terrible temper. The girl didn't do anything to deserve being treated so cruelly, but it was a trait I couldn't help. Whenever I was in pain or irritated, my patience became as thin as could be. The girl didn't seem to mind my temper, for the next thing I knew, she was placing down a few pills along with a glass of water. I brushed my fingers through my hair and swallowed them all at once.

"Thank you," I groaned. "Oh, thank you…"

"Erik, perhaps you're pushing yourself too hard," I heard the girl state. "Maybe you could take the brace off and relax yourself for a while."

"There's work that needs to be done in my park," I said. "I can't lay around here like a corpse, now can I? I have something in Phantasma that may help me with my pain, but I need to work."

The girl opened her mouth to protest, but I waved my hand at her.

"I will return late tonight. Don't bother waiting up for me or cooking something special. My laundry needs to be done as well… My robe and shirts are to be ironed and hung in my wardrobe. Can you manage that?"

And before I left the house, I heard Christine's voice mew a simple "Yes, Monsieur."

I lived only a few blocks from my park, but by the time I made it to my office, my leg was throbbing. Even after I sat at my desk, the pain didn't go away. I had paper work that needed to be completed, and the pain in my leg was keeping me from concentrating.

"For god's sake!" I cried out from within my office.

After only filling out about five checks, I left my work and approached a large brass tub I had on the other side of my realm. I never liked bathing at home due to the maid I had in the past. I was always afraid she would walk in on me, that being the reason why I preferred to bathe in my office. I was the only one who worked there, and being assured I was alone was comfort. After filling the tub up with hot water, I stripped down and sunk into the burning water. Medication never soothed my aches like hot water did. Oh, to be able to soak without having to wear that horrid brace was more pleasure than anything in the world. I sighed and rested my head against the tub, my deformed face feeling wonderful without the mask and wig to suffocate it. There was silence for a long time…but not long enough, for when I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes to find Nadir standing over my tub. Usually, anyone who would have seen me soaking fully naked would anger me beyond belief, but this man had unfortunately seen my naked form more times than any other living being, my mother included. I groaned and closed my eyes again in order to return to relaxing.

"You may have a key to my office," I reminded him. "But you could have knocked first."

"And when I saw the windows cracked open to let out the humid summer air I knew something was up…that something being you. What are you doing here? You're supposed to be home."

"Home doing what? Struggling to walk in that unbearable brace you brought me? It's too tight, Persian. I've been in constant agony all morning. This bath is all that I have to take away the pain."

"Erik, when we first came to Coney Island, the doctors told you that it was either the brace or an amputation. You would be confined to a wheelchair after that."

"So being in unbearable agony all the time is the better solution? Oh, and I've felt pain before, Persian, so if I complain that it hurts, you know damn well that I mean it. I can't sleep, I can't work…I'm going mad."

"I'll talk to the doctor about bandaging your leg so the brace doesn't hurt as much while you're wearing it. For the time being, I suggest you finish what work you have and return home. Your health comes first, Phantasma can wait."

Nadir was marching towards the door, when I ran my fingers over my lips and remembered the wonderful dream I had dreamt this morning.

"Persian, this morning, I had the most wonderful dream."

Nadir stopped walking. "You did?"

"Yes, I dreamt that an angel leaned down and kissed me." I said, running my fingers over my bottom lip to remember how wonderful it had felt. Oh, but it was just a dream, a dream and nothing more.

"Are you sure it was a dream, and not a memory that has returned to you?"

I shook my head, for it couldn't be a memory. I was hideous and no woman could ever want to press their lips against my own. My own mother never did so, so why would any woman give me something so simple? No, this was a dream, one that I wished was a memory…


	15. Chapter 15

**Erik's POV**

When I grew tired of working, I locked up my office and headed towards my home. It was extremely late, for the Phantasma clock tower was chiming in the hour of two. This wasn't the latest I had ever worked, for I had once worked for three days without stopping. When I arrived home, I locked the door behind me and quietly hung my cloak up on the hanger that was near the doorway. Knowing that I hadn't eaten all day, I entered my kitchen to find a plate sitting there with a sandwich on it. Christine had left me dinner after all. The girl had a kind heart, one that I would never truly understand. I didn't want to wake Christine or the child and if I sat down to eat, I knew I would do just that. Deciding to eat my dinner in my room, I carried the plate up the flight of stairs and sat it on my desk. The first thing I did before eating was remove that horrid brace from my leg and sat it aside. Sometimes I wondered about my choice all those years ago… I didn't want to be confined to a wheelchair, and therefore chose the brace instead of an amputation, but oh, the pain I received from wearing the contraption was far too much. I removed my mask and wig, placing the garments aside to allow my face to breathe. I was just picking up my sandwich to take my first bite, when I heard my bedroom door opening. My back was turned, but I froze, for I wasn't sure what to do.

"Erik?"

I sighed, for it was Christine. Even so, she had no right to enter my room without knocking. The girl worked for me… She wasn't my wife, and she had no right to come walking in as if she owned part of this place. Though, I knew how terrible my temper could be, that being the reason why I took a deep breath before speaking to her.

"I haven't minded your company these past few days," I began. "But you overstep your bounds when it comes to certain things. For example, you should knock before entering any room in my house, especially my bed chamber. What if I were changing?"

"I'm sorry, Monsieur. I'll leave if this is a bad time."

"It's not, but from now on, I command you to knock before walking in my bedroom unannounced."

The girl didn't make a sound, but I could still sense her standing behind me.

"Well? It's two thirty in the morning. Are you going to tell me why you're in here or not?"

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "I…I shouldn't have walked in here unannounced. It's just that…that…"

"What?"

There was a long pause before I heard her sigh. "Nothing."

It was strange, for it was as if she had something she wanted to tell me, something that was eating her up inside.

"Nadir brought over some bandages this afternoon for your leg. He told me that it would cushion your flesh and keep the brace from hurting it."

"I don't think any bandage is going to stop the cramps I get."

Christine was closer now, for I could sense her standing behind me. To make me feel more comfortable, I placed my mask back over my face but kept my wig off.

"May I?" she asked, motioning to an empty chair that was placed beside my desk.

"Yes," I said.

She took a seat in the chair and scooted closer to my desk.

"I washed your shirts this morning and cleaned your room."

When I saw her eyes looking up at my sparse hairs, I felt the need to explain everything to her.

"I know it must be a shock to you," I said. "Some people will never know that I wear a wig to cover my nearly bald head. My skull…"

"Is exposed," she interrupted. "I know…"

She placed her hand against my mask, but I gently pulled it away.

"Don't do this to me. You've been spying on me again, haven't you? That's how you know about my head. Oh, Christine, don't. I've been through far too much."

"I know that your exposed skull is surrounded by fragile veins and arteries. I know what it looks like."

"Stop it!" I cried. "Just stop…"

When I tried to place my hands over my ears, she stopped talking and I was glad, for I didn't want to hear another lie. What was she going to tell me next? That she and I were friends before I lost my memory? It was a lie, for no one as beautiful as her would ever want to be associated with me.

"I'm sorry, Erik."

"You're not… This is the second time you've tried forcing things into my head. I don't need you to tell me things that aren't true."

"But how do you know that they're not? I was only trying to help you remember…Is it so bad that I know things that you don't?"

"That's what makes it so terrible, Christine. When others know things about me, it frightens me… It makes me feel as though I'm a stranger living in some man's body. If I can't remember these things myself, then I'd rather not know them at all. It hurts too much and I need you to promise me that you won't try forcing another thing upon me… I need your word, Christine. A person is only as good as their word and I need yours more than anything."

She paused for a few moments before nodding. "I promise, Erik."

"Good… Now, I would like to eat my sandwich in peace and crawl into bed for the night. I believe you should do the same. Tomorrow is your day off and I would think you wouldn't want to sleep the day away, not when it's supposed to be beautiful."

"No, I wouldn't want to sleep the day away, but I will offer to help you wrap your leg up in the morning."

"Your offer has been accepted."

And with that, the girl left me in peace.

**Christine's POV**

There were so many reasons why I couldn't sleep, one of those reasons being the horrible dreams I was still having about Erik. The dream always started out the same… We were kissing, and then, the mob would arrive and kill Erik in front of me. I knew it wasn't real, but I would always wake screaming and holding my pillow close to me. After departing from Erik's room, I woke from one of those horrible nightmares and wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and hold him close to me. This morning, I had placed my lips upon his own, and tonight, I had pushed him too far. I wanted him to remember who he was, I wanted him to wake up and look at me with his beautiful blue orbs and tell me how much he had missed me. But no, he didn't wake like I had wanted him to. He simply placed his hands over his ears and tried to drown out the sound of my voice. He made me promise not to push memories into his mind and I agreed, knowing that it would be hard not to.

After waking from my nightmare, I held my pillow close to me and sobbed. How could I bear to live under this man's roof when I couldn't even love him like I wanted to? Feeling lonely, I placed on the silk robe my angel had given to me all those years ago and tiptoed up the stairs to his room. I know I had promised him to knock, but it was so late, that I knew he was probably asleep. My hand shook as I turned the skull shaped door knob and entered the dark realm of his bed chamber. It was indeed dark, but there was a candle placed near his bed that was giving off a dim glow. My angel wasn't wearing his mask, and his distorted cheek was buried in the pillow. He wasn't sleeping soundly either, for he was groaning in his sleep as if someone was hurting him.

"No…" he cried. "Not there…Stop…Oh, don't…"

No wonder my angel looked exhausted all the time. How could anyone get a good night's rest when they couldn't sleep soundly? I watched his body writher in a nightmarish fit, right up until his left leg fell over the side of the bed, causing Erik to jolt into an upright position and scream. It frightened me and I backed away towards the door.

"Javert?" he cried, struggling to place on his mask. I was glad the room was in complete darkness, otherwise, I knew we would have been getting into an argument over his face. My angel was gasping for air and whimpering over his leg, but that didn't stop him from struggling to light more candles. When the room was illuminated in candle light, he saw me, and that's all it took for him to get angry.

"You're really starting to get under my skin!" he cried. "I trusted you to live here under my roof and to give me my privacy. If you can't stay out of my room, Christine, I'm going to have to fire you, and I don't wish to do that."

"I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I had a terrible nightmare. I have them all the time and I needed someone to talk to. I wasn't snooping around, I swear I wasn't. I…I just needed someone to talk to."

I dropped to my knees and sobbed into my hands, knowing that my angel's anger wasn't going to subside. But to my surprise, he spoke to me in a softer tone and it seemed to automatically lift my spirits.

"These nightmares, what are they about?"

"I…I see my son's father. Something terrible happened to him and I witnessed him die in front of me. Every night I see him die over and over again and I wake up screaming. I don't know what to do about it. That's why I can't sleep."

My angel lifted his aching leg back into bed and plopped back against his pillows.

"I have nightmares too…Nightmares about my childhood and the abuse I endured day after day. Nightmares can't hurt us, Christine. They are images from the past and I know they may seem horrible, but you have to wake and just shake them from your mind."

"How do you shake them from your mind?" I asked. "How do you wake every day and not be afraid to fall back asleep the next night?"

"Because I'm alive, and I know that those images were from the past. They aren't what I'm living through now."

I tried to smile, for he was right. My Erik might have gone through hell with the mob, but he was here and that's all that mattered. Therefore, I wiped my eyes and approached his bed. His leg seemed to be in so much pain and I only wished there was something I could do for him. He was wearing sleep trousers, but the fabric must have agitated him, for he had the pant leg rolled up to his thigh. His left leg was covered in scars and seemed malformed almost, especially at the knee. I placed a pillow beneath his leg and gently placed his limb on it. He cringed in pain at first, but when his leg was on the pillow, he sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Christine."

"No, Erik, thank you…"

There was a moment of silence, and then, I noticed that Erik seemed to be looking at the robe I was wearing. I thought he was going to mock me about wearing a man's robe, but he did the complete opposite.

"That robe looks familiar… Did I give it to you?"

And I could only smile, for this was the first memory that Erik remembered, that being that he had given me the robe. Perhaps there was some hope of him returning after all. Only time would tell…

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**Yeah! He remembered something! More to come soon... Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Christine's POV**

Happy that Erik remembered something, I was able to return to my room and rest. He remembered the robe and that was a start. The following morning, I awoke a little late due to how exhausted I had been and entered the kitchen to find Erik sitting in the family room. This was certainly a change, for I never saw him sitting in there before. He was propped up in his arm chair, his left leg placed on the hassock that was right beside the couch. What made things stranger was that he wasn't wearing his robe or jacket…No, he was wearing a white dress shirt and had the sleeves folded up to his elbow, the black suspenders that held his pants up resting on each shoulder. It was certainly a change from what he usually wore, but then again, I had never seen him wearing anything but his robe or cloak. He always had every part of his body covered, making it hard to imagine him wearing anything that exposed part of his flesh. Now that his arms were exposed, I couldn't help but not stare at them. He wasn't muscular, for I could see his bones protruding from each limb. His pale flesh stretched drum tight over each bone, light hair covering the skin. But also covering every inch of his flesh were hundreds of red and pink scars, scars that had been caused by cruelty and the people who had hurt him in the past. Some looked extremely painful to touch, while others looked like snakes wrapped tightly around his limbs. I had only ever seen my angel's arms once in the past, that being on the night we made love those many years ago, and even then, I never examined his arms this closely before. He was scribbling away on a piece of parchment, his left hand moving so gracefully with his pen. I smiled, for I never took the time to realize that he wrote with his left hand and not his right.

But even now, as I stared at his wrist, I couldn't help but notice that the bones seemed malformed, as if he had broken it in the past. He seemed to be writing very carefully, as if the slightest movement from his wrist gave him pain. On top of that, he wasn't wearing his wig, causing his nearly bald head to make him seem much older than he was if you stood behind him.

"Monsieur?"

The moment he heard my voice, he stopped writing and looked over his shoulder.

"I take it you slept well?" he began. "You slept longer than you usually do."

"I did sleep a little," I said. "Though, I can't help in taking notice that your left wrist…"

Erik looked down at his boney wrist before slowly covering it with his right hand.

"What about it?"

"The bone seems painful."

"It doesn't bother me much anymore. I had an accident when I was a child, causing me to break it."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking?"

"As a matter of fact, Christine, I do mind."

"Forgive me, I was just wondering was all."

"I was staying with some nasty people when I was a child. They forced me to show myself to paying crowds as if I were a freak show. One afternoon, I refused to do it, and so, my wrist was shackled against the cage I was placed in. I tugged on the shackle all afternoon, eventually I broke my wrist and slipped out of it. I was caught trying to run away but I was left to tend to my own wounds. My hand healed wrong because I didn't have a cast to put it in."

I knew Erik was talking about the gypsies and that he didn't want to speak about them. He had mentioned them in the past, and I never got the courage to ask him about them because I didn't want to upset him.

"Since it's way past breakfast, how would you like to go to brunch? There is a café in Phantasma that serves delicious sandwiches and I have to check up on the supplies anyway."

I smiled. "That would be nice, Erik."

"Well, hand me the bandages Nadir brought over so I can wrap up my leg before placing it back into that horrid contraption again."

I kept my promise and wrapped Erik's bare leg. He had rolled up his loose pant leg until it reached his thigh, and only then did I keep my eyes on his leg while I gently wrapped the plushy bandages around his mangled limb. I asked him over and over again if I was wrapping his leg too tight, but each time he replied no… Though, at one point, I saw his arm reach down to help me when the bandages became too tangled. When I caught sight of his scarred arms, I couldn't hold back any longer. If I was ever going to get closer to him, I knew I needed to ask him questions, even if I already knew the answer to them. I needed to make sure that he remembered the answers and that he knew that I knew them. I didn't want to bring something up that I hadn't asked him and have another horrid episode happen like before.

"Your arms," I said. "Do they cause you pain?"

When his scarred flesh accidently brushed up against my own arm, I held back from wanting to sigh. His flesh was soft against my own and I wanted nothing more than to feel every inch of it.

"Not anymore," he said. "Sometimes they do, but I barely notice. Sometimes, things look worse than they actually seem. This is why I built Phantamsa, so that I can walk freely among crowds and not feel ashamed of myself. I can't roam outside of my park, for I get too many stares and children asking their parents why I look like I do. No, in Phantasma, I can live freely amongst the other freaks and be at peace."

Once his leg was completely bandaged, I helped him into the brace. When it was locked around his leg, I helped him stand, noticing that he wasn't wincing as much as he usually did.

"Better?" I asked.

He nodded. "A little. The pressure is still there, but the metal isn't pressing against my flesh. It will do for now, thank you, Christine."

At that exact moment, my son came walking in with his beach bucket and shovel.

"Mama, are we going to the beach today?"

I nodded. "We are, pumpkin. But first, Monsieur Mulheim is going to take us to an early lunch. You would like that, wouldn't you?"

My son nodded. "Mr. Mulheim, will you go to the beach today with mama and me?"

Erik paused before shaking his head. "I would love to, boy, but I'm afraid I can't. I have work that needs to be done."

"Oh, pweaseeeee," my child whined. "Pwease, Mister Mulheim."

For some odd reason, my angel couldn't say no, for the next thing I knew, he was nodding.

"For a short while, boy. I have work to do and it needs to be done today. I will take you and your mother to work and then, I will accompany you to the beach for a little bit."

Satisfied with Erik's answer, Gustave raced back to his room to get ready, and then, we were off.

**Erik's POV**

The summer days were getting hotter as the month went on, that being the main reason why I tried dressing lighter. I liked to keep every inch of me covered in my black cloaks and shirts, to shield my employees from the horrors that lay beneath my clothing. Though, it was impossible to stand once the afternoon heat beat down upon me. I could basically stand any kind of weather, the cold especially, but the boiling heat of July and August reminded me of the excruciating humidity of Persia. There were many things about the past that I couldn't remember, but Persia was one of the things I unfortunately thought about day after day. The torture and abuse I endured at the hands of the Shah was too much to forget. Before leaving the house, I rolled down the sleeves of my white shirt and placed on my wig. Christine, being the kind woman that she was walked at my pace, even though I knew she could walk much faster. It was as if she wanted to keep an eye on me as if I would trip or fall at any given moment. When we arrived at the café my employees ran, I held the door open for her and the boy before walking in behind them. My employees all seemed to look at me but didn't say a word as if they were afraid to acknowledge me. I led Christine and Gustave over to a booth and motioned them to take a seat.

"Look at the menu," I told Christine. "I'll be back in a few moments. I just have something I need to take care of."

With that being said, I walked back into the kitchen and approached Loretta Squelch, the manager of the café. She, her husband and his mother all came to Coney Island around the same time I did. They originated from Germany and were famous for their cooking. I wasn't sure why, but they became one of the only few families I could trust. And when I decided to open my park, I knew that I could trust them in helping me run a few of the restaurants.

"Miss Squelch," I said. "Do you have the list of items I need to order for the café?"

The large woman smiled, her purple hair pulled up into a bun.

"Mister E, how are you feeling today?"

"I can't complain," I continued. "Just doing my rounds."

Miss Squelch was just looking through her papers to find my order form, when one of the waitresses came walking through to give the cook her current table's order.

"Can you believe this?" she gossiped out loud. "We get a world to get people like us out of the cruelty caused by society, and now, we have them eating at our café's and invading our privacy…"

As soon as I heard the words escape her lips, I spun around and stood before the gossiping fiend. The moment she saw me standing there, she gasped, her eyes filled with horror.

"First off, let's get one thing straight," I began, turning to face all of my employees. "This world was indeed built to give us all a sense of relief. But that doesn't mean that all regular humans are evil. There are the select hundreds that come to Phantasma and bring in money each and every day. Without them, there would be no us."

I then turned back to face the girl. "That woman and child you so speak about work for me. The woman is my housekeeper and that little boy is her son. They are good people and have a right to be here. If I ever hear you speaking ill about the non-freak community again, I will personally fire you myself."

I then turned back to face the rest of my employees. "Let it be known… If any of you ever…EVER speak ill about the non-freak community, there will be consequences. Yes, some of them have caused us pain and humiliation, but not all of them are cruel. This world was built to keep out the cruel and they will not come spend money on something they hate. The cruel would not fill our pockets. The ones filling our pockets are the ones who don't care about our oddities. None of you will speak ill of the non-freak community again…That is my final warning."

I seemed to have frightened them all, for they didn't say a word, not even after Miss Squelch handed me my order form.

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**Erik seems pretty serious about this. Don't speak a word about the Non-Freak community ever again! Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Erik's POV**

I was angry, and Christine could tell. She didn't say a word the entire time we ate breakfast, but afterwards when we were walking towards the beach, I heard her speak.

"Erik, I can't help but notice that you're acting a bit strange. Is everything all right? You seem a little flustered."

It was strange, for I never had anyone to vent to or that was willing to listen to me. It felt good to know that I now had someone to talk to when needed.

"It's my employees," I began. "I built this world to shield them from cruelty, and yet, they believe that I built it in order to keep out the world. When they saw you and Gustave in the café this morning they became angry. Though, I quickly scolded them for it and told them that this world was built to keep cruelty out, not the world. Let's see if they dare speak ill about the non-freak community again."

"Non-freak?" Christine questioned.

I nodded. "Yes, people like you and your son. This morning wasn't the only time I heard my employees speaking ill about your kind. Just last week I heard someone's concern about having them walking around Phantasma. Then, he went on to rant some rumor about my idea to have us mate with them."

"It's cruel," Christine said. "I know that you want the best for your employees, Erik, but keeping the world out and away from Phantasma will not help it. There is cruelty everywhere you look. We are all human beings…You're no different than me. Having facial deformities and other oddities does not make us a different species."

"Oh, Christine, you don't know how right you are. Though, I know most of my employees prefer to stick to the other freaks in Phantasma. They don't want to court or marry anyone other than their own kind. Even so," I trailed off, knowing that it was time to tell her the truth. "Not even a freak would look at me with compassion. I know they are curious about what lies beneath my mask and I swore to myself that they would never find out. It would kill me inside to have them look upon me in fear. I am a respected businessman and I plan to have it stay that way. That's why I'm not married or seeing any woman, freak or not. I…I don't want to ruin my reputation and I know that I would have trouble finding a woman who wouldn't care about my face. And even if I did find one, it would stir up trouble with my employees. It's better to stay single…"

I saw Christine blush and I wondered why. Why was she blushing?

"Well," she said. "To be honest, if I was a freak, I'd be interested in you…But…But I'm not a freak so it doesn't count."

We had been walking towards the beach, but the moment I heard her say those exact words, my heart stopped within my chest. Christine? Was this girl actually interested in me? Interested in the way a woman was interested in a man?

"There has never been a freak in Phantasma that has been with a regular human being before." I said. "It's as if we are animals. As if being with one is a sin."

We were on the beach now, a section of the beach that I privately owned. Usually, my employees were allowed to use it, but since they were all working, the beach was empty, giving Christine and I the privacy we needed. Gustave immediately went running towards the group of seagulls, while Christine yelled at him to stay close. Knowing that I couldn't walk on the sand with the condition my legs were in, Christine and I stood still while keeping an eye on Gustave.

"I…I never told anyone this before," Christine began. "But…But I don't mind the way you look. I mean, I never saw what you have beneath your mask, but my lover, Gustave's father…He…He was disfigured in a fire and he was afraid that his face was going to cause me fear, but…but I loved him so it didn't matter."

"I was born with it," I said. "Having been born disfigured and being disfigured in an accident are two different things. Everyone was afraid of my face, everyone… My own mother couldn't even look at me without fear. I'm…I'm so afraid to show anyone my face, and that's why I wear a mask. I'm ashamed of the way I look…"

"You shouldn't be…"

And then, for the first time since this girl started working for me, she reached out and touched my arm gently. No, I couldn't let her do this to me, for she was my employee…

"I…I need to go work on a few things. I…I will see you a little later. Enjoy your day off with your son."

And just like that, I left Christine on the beach. I wasn't sure if this girl was just being kind or if she truly had feelings for me. No, she couldn't have feelings for me, for no woman had ever felt anything for me. I made as many stops around Phantasma as I could bear, the pain in my leg only becoming more and more unbearable as the day went on. When I could no longer bear to stand, I made my way home and changed into a clean pair of loose clothing. The shirt I had worn all day was covered in sweat and I wanted to lie down for a while. The intense heat of the day had exhausted me, so much so that I had fallen into a deep slumber after only a few moments of having my eyes closed.

I dreamt horrible things, things that confused me. Usually, I dreamt about my master and his abuse, or the Shah and the whip he used to use on me…But today, oh, today was much different. I found myself in a dark cellar, the chill sending shivers down my spine. I didn't recognize the room I was in, for I had never seen it before. There was moist stone surrounding each corner and a bed that had blankets thrown everywhere. Had I been in that bed? That's when I realized that I wasn't wearing any clothing… I tried to cover myself with my hands, but at that exact moment, I heard a loud sound, which caused me to grab the black robe that was lying on the floor and head to the doorway. I could walk… There was no pain in my leg and I didn't need a staff to balance myself with. Though, as soon as I approached the doorway, I felt excruciating pain, only to realize that I had been stabbed in the side with a knife. I was so concerned with getting the knife out of my side that I didn't dare look up to see who had stabbed me…

**Christine's POV**

I didn't like to lie, but I felt as though that was the only way to talk to Erik about himself. I knew I couldn't very well tell him that he was Gustave's father or that I had seen his malformed face many times before…that was the reason I lied and told him that my lover had been disfigured in a fire and that his face didn't matter to me. Oh, how I loved him. I wanted to be with him so much that it hurt. I spent most of the day at the beach with my son, only returning when the sun began to set. I was surprised to find Erik home so early, and went to his room to see if he was all right, only to find him fast asleep in his bed. The man needed sleep, this I knew, for he barely slept at all. Deciding to make dinner, I didn't disturb him and headed into the kitchen to work on our meal. While the pork was cooking on the stove, I folded the rest of Erik's laundry and was walking up the stairs to put away the clean bath towels, when I heard a frightening scream come from Erik's bedchamber. Worried that something terrible had happened, I placed the towels down on the sink and hurried into his bedroom. What I saw broke my heart, for there, sitting up in his bed was my angel… He had sweat pouring down his masked face, his hands prying away at his loosely fitted shirt.

"Erik?"

"It was so real…" he cried. "So real…I…I was…I was stabbed."

I wasn't sure what he was talking about, but I watched as he pulled away at the buttons of his shirt until it was completely open. I had not seen his chest in over three years and when the familiar canvas of pink and red scars came to light, I was met with something much worse. Oh, the mob had certainly done much worse to him, for he had bumps and caved in areas of his chest that had not been there before. It hurt to look at him, for I felt the pain he had endured, for I had seen it all. I closed my eyes and tried to shake the horrid memories of that night away, but I was caught off guard by Erik's sobs.

"I…I was stabbed," he cried. "Someone stabbed me. I was cold, and naked at first and then, I heard a sound…I…I only wanted to see what it was, but the moment I turned around, I felt someone stab me. I saw the knife!"

My angel brushed his fingers over his flesh, reaching his side, the same side that Raoul had stabbed him in. Did he actually have a dream about that night all those years ago? Had my angel actually dreamt about the beating? When his fingers found the scar that the knife had left behind, he gasped and looked up at me with worried eyes.

"My God…" he cried. "I…I never knew where this scar came from…My God…No…No…No…"

My angel sobbed into his hands, and I knew he was about to go into another fit of rage, for he couldn't remember what had happened to him. My angel pulled at his hair and slammed his fists onto his bed. He was frightened and I knew exactly why…He couldn't remember what had happened or why he was stabbed. Yes, I could have told him everything, but I knew that wouldn't help, for he still wouldn't know what happened. To him, it would have been more frightening.

"Erik," I took a seat on the side of his bed and reached out to button up his shirt. "Erik, you can't beat yourself up like this."

"You didn't see what happened…I…I was stabbed and I…I couldn't see his face. I don't even know if it really happened, or why it happened. Why? Why was I stabbed?"

"I…I don't know, Erik. Maybe you will see his face in another dream and it will all come back to you. Though, you're sweating and I don't think you should sleep for a while. I have dinner started down stairs. I think you should take a cool bath and change…Afterwards, you should come downstairs and eat. Perhaps eating food will jog your memory."

I knew my angel couldn't live on his own any longer, for he was my Erik, lost in another man's body. I knew he was going to need constant care, especially when he woke from horrible dreams, dreams that frightened him. After searching for a clean pair of clothes for him to change into, I walked him to the bathroom and helped him remove his leg brace and bandages. Afterwards, I ran him a cool bath, only leaving him when he assured me that he was going to be all right. He was lifeless, for his mind was elsewhere, and I guessed it was trying to remember how he had been stabbed. I wanted to scream it to the world and tell him everything, but then, I remembered what Nadir had told me. He was going to have to do this on his own…But I would always be standing right behind him to catch him should he ever fall…He needed me and I needed him more than he would ever know.

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**Some Fluffy chapter ahead of us! Stay tuned...Please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Christine's POV**

Erik wasn't interested in dinner and I knew exactly why. As my child and I sat at the dinner table indulging into our meal, Erik sat at the end, picking at his dinner with one hand, while the other supported his head. I knew he was upset about his nightmare and not being able to remember anything. I sighed and knew exactly where this night was going.

"Erik, is there something I could get you?" I asked.

I wanted him to say something, but instead, he just shook his head and continued picking at his meal.

"Mister Mulheim, is there something wong with mama's chickie?" Gustave asked. "You've barely touched it."

"I…I'm not hungry," he mewed. "I'm afraid I've lost my appetite."

"You don't eat at all…How could you not be hungwy?"

Not wanting to get Erik irritated, I changed the subject by passing Gustave the potatoes. I was about to say something, when I saw my angel rise from his seat.

"Erik, are you feeling all right?"

"I need some air…"

That was the last thing he said before I spotted him go out the backdoor towards the porch.

"Mama, is he alwight? He seems sick…"

"He'll be all right, Gustave," I said. "Erik's just not feeling well tonight. He's been through a lot and I think it's best if we just give him some space."

When dinner was over, my child helped me clean up. Afterwards I bathed and put my child to bed. He told me over and over again that he wasn't tired, but as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. I watched my beautiful baby sleep for a few moments before rising and heading to my own room to change. Erik had not come back inside yet and I began to worry when I heard the crackle of thunder erupt from outside my window. By the time I came out from my room dressed in my angel's robe, the rain had begun to pour. I strode to the backdoor and stepped outside. My angel was seated on the swing that was hanging beneath the porch, keeping dry and watching the rain fall from the sky.

"Erik?"

I approached the swing and softly called his name, causing him to look up.

"You've been out here a long time," I began. "I was just worried…You should come inside."

"I'm under the porch, am I not?" he questioned. "I'm not standing out in the middle of the yard. I…I like watching the rain, it's relaxing."

"Oh," was all I said as I watched him gently sway himself on the bench styled swing. When he noticed that I hadn't gone back in the house, he patted the empty spot beside him. "I'd rather you sit if you're going to stay. When people hoover over me it makes me nervous."

I took a seat beside him, the first few minutes being silent. My angel watched the storm rage on, the thunder and lightning being all so close, so close that it made me a bit uneasy. At least inside the house I felt safe in knowing that I couldn't be hurt.

"Who knew that Mother Nature possessed such talent…" my angel said. "She makes the most beautiful music…Rain, Thunder and a flash or two of lightning is all it takes."

I smiled, for it was so like Erik to say something like that.

"Is that why you came out here?" I asked. "To get a front row seat for Mother Nature's concert?"

"Of course… There are many nights that I do. And every time I do, she gives me one hell of a show. Some nights she gives the stage to the crickets and locust…other nights, her thunder sets the mood. It's the best concert to attend, Christine."

"I'm sure Phantasma puts on a lovely concert every night. The sights and smells probably have everyone there in awe…"

"Nothing like this…"

We stayed outside for as long as we could, only going inside when the wind became too much to bear. Once Erik locked the door, I turned to bid him a goodnight.

"I hope you feel better tomorrow, Erik," I said. "I know you weren't feeling yourself tonight."

"Would you mind helping me upstairs?" he asked. "Sometimes getting this brace off my leg is frustrating."

Happy that he had asked me to accompany him to his room, I followed him up the stairs and entered his bedchamber.

"I'm going to change," he said, heading behind his privacy enclosure. "I'll be right back."

I stood by his bedroom window, gazing out into the rainy night and spotting the smeary lights of his park in the distance. The yellow and purple glow mixed in with the rain covered window made it seem as though I were staring at Phantasma through beer goggles. How lucky of him to be able to look at his park right out his bedroom window.

"I wouldn't want to be in Phantasma tonight," I said. "I would have been soaked trying to run home."

"Bad weather makes the arcades more crowded," Erik said, emerging from his enclosure. He was no longer dressed in his usual attire, for instead of a loose shirt, he now wore his dark robe. He walked over to his piano bench and took a seat, aching from the pain that was being caused by his brace.

"Get this thing off me…" he said, waving his hand towards the brace that was locked around his leg. I moved swiftly in getting the contraption off his limb. Afterwards, I worked in removing the bandages. When his mangled leg was exposed, he sighed in relief and pulled down his pant leg that he had lifted in order for me to gain access to it.

"Much better, thank you…"

He shifted his body towards the piano and placed his shaking hands upon the keys.

"I've….I've been working on something new," he assured. "I've been working on perfecting it. Would you care to critique me on it?"

Oh, just like old times!

"Of course."

My angel began to play, but I could barely tell it was he who was playing, for he was making too many mistakes and his fingers didn't gracefully flow across the keys like they had in the past. It brought me to tears, for my angel was hurting inside because he couldn't play like he once had.

"Just give me a moment," he would say after a few notes. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize," I said. "You can't help it."

When my angel became frustrated with the piece, he slammed his hands down on the keys before burying his head into his hands. Oh, my poor poor angel… He wanted to play so badly, and yet, he couldn't. He had the music in his mind but had no means of perfecting it. I took a seat beside him and placed my hand upon his back.

"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself," I cooed. "You're trying the best that you can."

"It's not good enough!" he cried. "I used to play the piano almost as well as Mozart did! I could play anything, and yet, now look me! I can't even get through one line of Mary had a little lamb! I'm hopeless… What good is music if you can't get it right?"

I thought a few moments about how to help my angel. He needed so much, and yet, I had so little to offer him. That's when I had the craziest idea come to mind.

"I'll be right back, Erik…"

I hurried to my room and rummaged through the things I kept beneath my bed. When I spotted the small black case, I pulled it out and dusted it off…This would work, it just had to. I carried it back up the stairs and into Erik's room. His blue eyes seemed to become curious as I placed the case down on his bed and opened the lid.

"Now, it may not seem like much, but I think we should try it."

I pulled out my papa's violin, the same violin that I had kept all these years and walked it over to Erik.

"Your hands are shaking because they must lay flat on the piano keys. Tell me, Erik, have you played any other instrument since your injury?"

"No, only the piano," he said, his eyes fixed on the violin. "But why?"

"Do you know how to hold a violin?"

"I…I don't remember."

Back in Paris there were a few times I had let him hold my papa's violin. It seemed to make him happy, and I had wanted to give it to him as a gift. Though, it never came to that, for the mob had crashed my hopes and dreams that night.

"Here, let me show you…"

I placed the instrument into his hands and adjusted his arms and chin so that he was holding it correctly. Yes, his hand still shook as I placed the bow into it, but this could somehow fix things.

"I…I look ridiculous," he growled. "Just how is this supposed to help me?"

"Your hands shake because your nerves are damaged. You never had a chance at exercising them in hopes of reversing the damage."

"The doctors said there is nothing I could do to help it…"

"Well, they're not musical geniuses now are they? I'm not promising that this is going to help, but it's worth a try. You could strengthen your nerves by playing the violin, my papa's violin. Go on….Try it out…"

My angel did just that, running the bow across the fragile strings. His first swipe proved to be useless, for he nearly dropped the bow, his hand still trembling like a leaf in autumn's wind.

"This isn't going to work." He tried giving me back the instrument, but I forced him to continue holding it.

"Erik, this isn't going to work on the first try. It's going to take days, maybe even weeks. I want you to keep the violin and promise to practice an hour a day on it… Playing will strengthen your muscles enough to steady your hands so you can play the piano again."

"You truly believe this will work?"

"I don't know, but my papa always encouraged me to give everything my all. If you truly want to play the piano again, you should try to perfect the violin first."

Once more, my angel attempted to play the violin, this time, his grasp being able to hold onto the bow a bit longer. I knew he was going to be determined to play the piano again, and I knew he would soon become obsessed over perfecting the violin.

"I…I will do this, Christine," he said, placing the violin down. "Thank you… You know, no one has ever been this kind to me before. I…I can't help but wonder why you're doing it?"

I wanted to tell him everything… I wanted to tell him that I loved him and that we shared a child together. It was times like these that brought me to tears, but I needed to stay strong in order to keep him strong. I knew if I confessed everything to him now, he would never want to see me again. No, it would take time for us to get to those terms, and I would take all the time that was needed to get there.

"You've been kind to me, Erik," I said. "I only want to treat you with the same kindness…"

"For a non-freak, you're not so bad," he said.

"You're not so bad yourself," I joked.

"Perhaps the idea of freaks mating with the non-freaks isn't such a bad idea after all…That is, if all non-freaks were like you. There aren't too many of your kind that would reach out to me like you have."

I smiled. "When you prefect the violin, I want to be the first to hear you play it."

And for the first time in a long time, I saw the smallest smile form in the corner of his mouth.

"I promise…"

* * *

**A nice Fluffy chapter for you! So It's that time of the year again... The time when I go into the woods and don't come back for a week's time. There is no WiFi where I'm headed, so I will try to update when I'm at a place that actually has internet. No promises though... If I don't get around to updating this week, I will do it when I get back next Saturday. So, until then, keep calm and carry on with reading! Please review!**


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